From Scrutiny to Support: how public perceptions of Renewable Energy are changing

Results and findings from YouGov survey commissioned by Eland Cables: July 2026.

Renewable energy has largely won public support in Britain. But as the UK's energy transition gathers pace, expectations are changing.

To better understand how people view renewable energy and the infrastructure required to support it, we commissioned YouGov to survey the British public on their attitudes towards the transition. The results reveal a clear trend: support for renewable energy remains strong, but confidence in its ability to deliver affordable, reliable and secure energy is less certain.

Key findings

• 64% of Britons have a positive view of renewable energy.
• 44% believe the transition to renewable energy is happening too slowly.
• 51% doubt renewables will provide affordable energy costs over the next decade.
• 51% are unconvinced renewables can generate enough electricity to meet future UK demand.
• 75% support offshore wind developments, while 65% support onshore wind and 61% support large-scale solar projects.

Support remains positive even when projects are proposed closer to home, suggesting scrutiny is not the same as opposition.

Young adults are the strongest supporters of renewable energy and the most confident in its ability to deliver long-term outcomes.

The findings suggest that renewable energy is increasingly being judged not as an emerging technology, but as critical national infrastructure. As a result, public expectations are shifting from questions of acceptance to questions of performance.

For those working across the energy sector, this presents an important challenge. Building support remains important, but building confidence in the infrastructure, networks and systems that underpin the energy transition will be essential to its long-term success.

Click the link to download our report, From Support to Scrutiny, to explore the full findings and what they mean for the future of the UK's energy transition.