Welsh public backs renewable energy expansion but wants clarity on costs, poll finds

People across Wales strongly support expanding renewable energy, but want clearer information on costs, delivery and community benefits, according to new polling.

Research commissioned by RenewableUK Cymru found that 71% of people in Wales believe renewable energy development should increase, compared with just 6% who think it should decrease.

A majority (58%) said they want Wales’s future energy system to be mainly or entirely based on renewables.

The findings suggest support for renewable energy cuts across political divides, with backing among Labour, Plaid Cymru, Conservative and Green voters.

Even among Reform UK supporters – often seen as more sceptical – a majority (59%) said they support increased renewable energy development.

However, the polling also indicates that voters are not unconditionally supportive, with cost and affordability emerging as key concerns.

Cost concerns

While many respondents cited lower energy bills as a potential long-term benefit of renewables, most said they would not support higher costs in the short term.

When asked about electricity infrastructure, public opinion shifted significantly once costs were explained.

Without cost information, 53% of respondents preferred underground cables over overhead pylons. But when told undergrounding could cost up to five times more, support fell to 29%, while backing for pylons rose from 14% to 43%.

Around two-thirds of those surveyed said they would not be willing to pay higher bills to fund more expensive grid options.

The trend was particularly pronounced among Reform UK voters, suggesting that affordability remains a decisive factor in shaping attitudes.

Gap in understanding

The research also found a disconnect between public perception and reality when it comes to Wales’s current energy mix.

Around four in ten people believe Wales already generates a higher share of its electricity from renewables than the UK average.

In fact, Wales currently lags behind, with around 33% of electricity generated from renewable sources compared with just over 50% across the UK.

Participants in follow-up focus groups expressed surprise at this gap, with many saying they expected Wales to be further ahead and wanted to see faster progress.

Community benefits

The polling highlighted a lack of awareness around the benefits renewable energy projects can bring to local communities.

More than three-quarters of respondents said they had little or no understanding of community benefit funding linked to developments such as onshore wind farms.

When informed that for every £1 in post-tax profit a developer makes, around 37p is typically reinvested into the local community, nearly two-thirds (65%) said this would make them more likely to support projects in their area.

This effect was strongest among Plaid Cymru voters, for whom local investment and community benefit were seen as key factors.

The findings suggest that scepticism towards renewable energy developments may often be driven by a lack of information rather than fixed opposition.

Jessica Hooper, director of RenewableUK Cymru, said the results showed a “thoughtful and pragmatic” public mood.

“People in Wales are firmly behind renewable energy, across political divides – but they want honesty about the trade-offs, clear information on costs and delivery, and confidence that communities will share in the rewards,” she said.

“With electricity demand projected to double – potentially triple – by 2050, decision makers need to deliver clean power at pace while keeping bills affordable.”

The polling, based on a sample of just over 1,000 people in Wales, is being published ahead of a Welsh energy hustings in Cardiff, where political parties will be asked to set out how they plan to meet rising demand and expand renewable energy.