Wind farm neighbours are more positive to wind power

People may love cheap, climate-smart electricity, but few wind farms are ever built without lengthy processes that often involve petitions and appeals. Vattenfall’s 16 turbine Ray wind farm, located in Northumberland in north-east England, is no exception. After over a decade of planning and preparations, it finally started to produce electricity in 2017.

After five full years of operations at Ray, in the beginning of 2023, a survey was commissioned among the residents of the region to find out their attitudes towards wind power today. The results were partly surprising.

The closer the more positive

Contrary to popular belief, the study showed that three-quarters of those surveyed supported onshore wind farms and wanted to see more growth in the sector, compared to around 5 per cent who were opposed. Indeed, perhaps most surprisingly, those living closest to wind farms, specifically those living within five miles of existing wind farms in the region, were even more supportive of further development.

More than half of everyone surveyed thought that those who oppose wind farms make up a vocal minority, compared to the silent majority in favour.

Four in five want more information of the benefits

The poll also reveals a lack of knowledge about the benefits wind farms can bring both in improving the environment and biodiversity, the economic boost from community benefits, and the opportunities for upskilling, job creation, and the local supply chain. Nearly four in five wanted to know more about these benefits and three quarters of those surveyed would generally like more communication from wind developers such as Vattenfall.

This lack of awareness appears to be part of a larger problem as more than half of those surveyed in the North East do not know much or anything about the British government’s Net-Zero target. Three in five wanted to hear more about their local authority’s plans to tackle climate change and 72 per cent believe that the North East should do more to encourage investment by companies like Vattenfall in low carbon forms of energy in the region.

Encouraging results

Despite this challenge, Vattenfall Senior Project Manager Matt Bacon is encouraged by the results of the poll, which he commissioned in January 2023 to get a more complete picture of people’s views in a region where Vattenfall has a large office and an operational wind farm.

“It’s great to see more evidence that confirms our hunch that people in the North East overwhelmingly support renewable energy generation. This will give our operational and development teams increased confidence when meeting residents and other local stakeholders that, with the right dialogue and benefits built into projects, communities are very likely to be open to new proposals,” he says.

“This local polling mirrors national level polls and that’s helpful in defusing accusations that ‘people might think that in big cities but not here’. However, it also shows that we need to do more to communicate the benefits that come from onshore wind, and work closely with local communities to make sure this energy transition brings positive opportunities, particularly to areas that might not otherwise see such large-scale investment. Open, honest, and early engagement will be critical to success.”

The survey of onshore wind attitudes in north-east England was conducted online by Opinium Research during January and February 2023. Survey Sample: 1,000 adults in the North East of England including a minimum of 150 in Northumberland.

• Read more about Vattenfall’s wind farms and projects in the UK