Solar energy seven times more popular than fracking

A new poll has found that solar power is almost seven times more popular than hydraulic fracturing or fracking. The YouGov survey commissioned by the Solar Trade Association asked people […]

A new poll has found that solar power is almost seven times more popular than hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

The YouGov survey commissioned by the Solar Trade Association asked people to choose which local energy development they would most like to have built nearby out of a list of four options.

Solar farms were the clear winner taking 40% of the vote. Shale gas fracking and boreholes came last with just 6%. A quarter chose wind farms as their favourite and one in ten chose nuclear power.

Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace UK said: “For all the enthusiasm for fracking emanating from the upper echelons of the Coalition Government, the public would actually prefer to be near decent renewable projects like solar power.”

He added: “Cameron and Osborne should start listening to what real people want from local energy rather than trying to turn English counties into their version of Dallas”.

The survey also found clear support for solar power in general with 67% of people supporting either ‘good quality’ or ‘all’ solar farms. Just one in twenty opposed ‘good quality’ wind farms.

This follows the huge furore over fracking prompted by weeks of protest at a drilling site in Balcombe, Sussex.

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