CSIRO has released a comprehensive survey providing insights into Australians’ attitudes toward the renewable energy transition.
The survey, conducted between August and September 2023, gathered responses from more than 6,700 people across all states and territories, including both capital cities and regional areas.
As Australia moves towards a low-carbon energy system, the survey aimed to understand public attitudes towards the renewable energy transition and existing and planned renewable infrastructure.
This included solar farms, onshore wind farms, offshore wind farms, and the transmission lines necessary for integrating renewable energy into the electricity grid.
According to the survey, Australians prioritise affordability, energy self-reliance, and emissions reductions in the energy transition, with reliability also being a significant concern.
Most respondents supported a transition to an energy system that relies more on renewables.
However, opinions varied on the speed and extent of the transition, with 47 per cent preferring a moderate pace, 40 per cent supporting faster and more extensive change and 13 per cent preferring a slower transition.
Dr Andrea Walton, the senior social scientist on the project, highlighted the importance of the survey’s large sample size in providing a representative view of Australians’ attitudes.
She noted that while most Australians supported the energy transition, opinions differed on the pace and extent of change.
The survey also revealed that many Australians hold moderate attitudes toward living near renewable energy infrastructure, indicating a general willingness to support or tolerate such developments.
However, attitudes toward transmission lines were less favourable, with 23 per cent of respondents rejecting the idea of living near them.
Dr Walton stated that there is a need for further research to understand different geographic contexts, such as living in regional areas or near existing energy infrastructure.
She noted that while responses were similar between metropolitan and regional communities, those living in regional areas were more negative toward the transition, possibly due to proximity to current or proposed developments.
The survey results underscore the importance of providing comprehensive, transparent information on renewable energy infrastructure developments to address community concerns and ensure successful renewable energy transitions in Australia.
