Organised campaigns against wind and solar energy have proved \u201cextremely effective\u201d in undermining community support for renewable energy but enthusiasm for electric vehicles has jumped following Donald Trump\u2019s attack on Iran, according to a detailed snapshot of Australian attitudes to the clean energy transition.<\/p>\n
The survey found levels of \u201cdeep support\u201d for clean technologies were highest for home batteries and rooftop solar and also improving for major infrastructure projects such as transmission lines, which have been a target for critics of renewables.<\/p>\n
But support for onshore wind and solar farms had dropped from last year, with Australians reporting receiving more negative than positive messages about windfarms.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Huntley, a social trends expert who leads the annual Clean Energy Solutions Index<\/a>, said anti-wind campaigns<\/a> promoted by conservative groups had been \u201cextremely effective\u201d in undermining community support.<\/p>\n \u201cAll that these campaigns need to do is create the perception that other people think [windfarms] are a bad idea,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t difficult at this stage to get people to think renewable energy is a good idea. But you can get people to think there is no social licence for a fast transition.\u201d<\/p>\n As the data was revealed at the renewable energy industry\u2019s annual summit in Sydney, the Clean Energy<\/a> Council told the industry it had a \u201cfundamental problem\u201d with a lack of trust in regional and rural communities.<\/p>\n The council called for a nationwide legislated scheme for local councils to receive money from renewables companies for every megawatt hour of electricity generated by projects over their lifetime.<\/p>\n Huntley measured the level of \u201cdeep support\u201d for a range of renewable technologies by asking if people personally supported them; if they thought they were good for Australia; if they were willing to talk positively to others about them; and how they perceived others felt about the same technology.<\/p>\n