Public supports wind turbines in their areas, claims lobby group

Most Irish people say they would favour having wind turbines in their area, a new industry study claims.

A survey commissioned by lobby group Wind Energy Ireland, which kicks off a two-day conference on Tuesday, says four out of five Irish people support this form of electricity generation.

The study also maintains that nationally, 58 per cent of people would be in favour of having a wind farm in their area.

The organisation says this is the highest number in favour since it began monitoring the public’s attitudes to its industry in 2018.

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As the industry grew over the last two decades, wind farm plans regularly met opposition from nearby residents, who regarded turbines as intrusive or dangerous.

Much of the opposition came from rural communities, who were most affected by wind energy projects.

However, the survey shows that just one in 10 rural residents surveyed said they were opposed to wind farms in their area.

Close to half of those surveyed believed cheaper electricity was wind energy’s main benefit, while just 22 per cent said its primary advantage was cutting carbon emissions.

Wind farms receive the wholesale electricity price for the energy that they generate, which is ultimately determined by natural gas costs.

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Wind Energy Ireland maintains that market data show that wholesale prices ease on the days when wind farms are generating large amounts of electricity.

Surveyors quizzed 1,017 adults and a “booster sample” of 201 people from rural Ireland for the Wind Energy Ireland Public Attitudes Monitor.

Windy safeguards

Noel Cunniffe, the organisation’s chief executive, said on Tuesday that the results showed wind energy was increasingly popular with Irish people.

He claimed that wind farms helped “protect consumers” from the worst impact of the current energy crisis.

Mr Cunniffe insisted that the infrastructure and planning system the industry needed to accelerate wind farm building were not there.

“We are not building new wind farms, on or offshore, at the pace we need them,” he said.

Debate at this year’s conference will focus on this problem, Mr Cunniffe added. Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, will open the event in Dublin.