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Preferred energy sources for Government support

22 Sep 2020

Q. As you may be aware, many of Australia’s coal-fired power stations are reaching the end of their operational lives and will soon need to be replaced.

Which of the following would you prefer that the government supported?

  Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
  Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor Liberal + National Greens TOTAL: Other
New coal-fired power stations 15% 19% 11% 15% 14% 15% 10% 20% 11% 24%
New gas-fired power stations 15% 21% 10% 13% 13% 19% 12% 20% 11% 13%
Renewable energy solutions (e.g. wind and solar) 70% 60% 79% 72% 73% 66% 78% 60% 78% 63%
Base (n) 1,081 539 542 338 374 369 298 460 115 104
  • The vast majority of people would prefer the Government supported renewable energy solutions ahead of coal or gas powered plants.
  • 70% of people opted for renewable power, with just 15% each selecting gas and coal powered stations.
  • The preference for renewables was across all gender, age and voting demographics.
  • Those most supportive of renewable energy sources include women (79%), Labor voters (78%) and Greens voters (78%).The highest support for coal-fired power stations was among Coalition voters (20%), residents of NSW (20%) and people living in regional areas.
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