According to the latest Public Attitudes Tracker from the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), public support for renewable energy in the UK has dropped.
The report states that backing for renewable energy, including wind, solar and biomass, has fallen from 87% in autumn 2021, to 80% in spring 2025, with strong support down from 54% to 46%. While opposition remains relatively low, it has crept up from 1% to 4% over the same period.
Support is highest among 25 to 34-year-olds at 86%, and lowest among 16 to 24-year-olds at 78%, with support among those aged 45 and above ranging between 76% and 80%.
Regionally, London and the South West top the table for strong support, while the West Midlands and Wales rank lowest.
Solar remains the most popular form of renewable energy, at 86%, although this is slightly down from 88% last year. Offshore wind is backed by 80% of respondents, down from 83%. Onshore wind has slipped from 77% to 73%, and biomass sits at 69%.
Opposition to all four technologies has edged higher, with the sharpest rise seen for onshore wind and solar, each up by three percentage points. Fewer people now believe the renewables industry delivers economic benefits to the UK, with support falling from 74% to 69% in a year.
Willingness to host local renewable projects is also falling. Only 37% say they would be happy with an onshore wing farm nearby down from 43%, while just 47% support local solar farms, down from 53%.
Opposition to both has grown, particularly for solar, which now faces 14% local opposition, up from 9%.
The report said: "These findings suggest a softening of public sentiment toward renewable energy".
With the government aiming for rapid growth in clean power over the next decade, the dip in support signals a need for more public engagement to avoid slowing the transition.
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