New polling commissioned by Common Wealth shows strong and widespread public support for community-owned energy projects, and a good level of interest in participating in them through volunteering time, investing money, and reducing energy use. The Labour government’s Local Power Plan (LPP) aims to support local authorities and community groups to develop thousands of such projects, contributing to the UK’s pathway to net zero and building community wealth.
The new polling with YouGov shows:
- 62 per cent of the public would support a community-owned renewable energy project in their area, compared to 40 per cent support for a privately-owned project.
- 53 per cent of the public say they would be likely to reduce their energy consumption in support of a community energy project, with 24 per cent and 14 per cent likely to volunteer their time and invest money respectively.
- Lack of funds and lack of time were major reasons raised by those who said they were unlikely to participate, and there are differences in likelihood to participate across age, gender, education levels and social grade.
The polling sample was of 4,862 adults in Great Britain, and polling took place from 22 to 24 October 2024. The sample was split randomly, with half of respondents asked to rate their support for an imagined local community renewable energy project, and half a privately owned project.
