Altogether 72 percent of people in Estonia support the construction of offshore wind farms and nearly 70 percent support the expansion of onshore wind energy, it appears from a survey commissioned by listed renewable energy company Enefit Green and carried out by pollster Emor.
The biggest supporters of wind energy deployment are aged 15-34 and with an above-average income. Support is lower in the 50-74 age group, Enefit Green said.
The survey revealed that offshore wind farms are considered necessary because it makes the price of electricity more affordable — 51 percent of respondents think so. Altogether 49 percent believe that it contributes to Estonia’s energy security and 41 percent of respondents think that it produces green energy that is climate-friendly.
According to Lauri Ulm, the head of wind developments at Enefit Green, the survey results show that society understands why it is necessary to develop wind farms.
“People’s support for wind energy gives both municipalities and the state the courage to make decisions that bring us closer to achieving the big goal, that is a complete transition to renewable energy by 2030. Communities also benefit from wind parks close to home, because the parks enliven local life and business, create new jobs and contribute to the budget of the municipality and local residents,” Ulm said.
As many as 63.5 percent of all respondents would have a positive or very positive attitude towards the establishment of an offshore wind farm close to their home. Altogether 47 percent of respondents to the survey have a rather or very positive attitude towards an onshore wind farm to be built near their home. At the same time, wind energy production in an onshore farm near home is most favored by young or early middle-aged people aged 15-24, 25-34 and 35-49, by 61, 52.8 and 51 percent, respectively. On the other hand, in the 50-74 age group, support for onshore farms close to home is lower — 37.9 percent. In the 75-84 age group, however, support rises again to 47 percent. There were no big differences in support for offshore wind farms by age group.
Emor carried out the survey in September this year. It was a pan-Estonian omnibus survey involving about 1,100 residents aged 15-84.
Source: BNS
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