Some 21% of UK citizens believe that nuclear should be prioritised as a future energy source, just ahead of solar (19%) and offshore wind (18%), a new YouGov study commissioned by Eland Cables has suggested.
According to the study, close to two thirds (64%) of Britons feel ‘positive’ about renewable energy, with just 12% feeling ‘negative’.
Slow transition
At the same time, some 44% believe that the UK’s transition towards renewable energy is happening too slowly, compared with 18% that believe it’s taking place too quickly.
More than half (51%) of respondents said that they don’t believe that renewables will provide affordable energy costs over the next decade, with the same proportion doubting renewables will generate enough electricity to meet future UK demand.
According to Eland Cables, this suggests that while renewable energy has secured broad public backing, attention is increasingly turning to reliability, affordability and energy security.
On the topic of nuclear power, national support for nuclear power stations stood at 47%, however support fell to 38% when developments were proposed locally.
Renewable benefits
“The public is no longer asking whether renewable energy should be deployed,” commented Jean-Sébastien Pelland, executive director at Eland Cables. “The bigger question is whether the benefits are being felt yet.
“While support is high, there is still uncertainty around issues such as energy costs, security of supply and future demand,” Pelland added. “As renewables become a larger part of our energy system, the focus naturally moves beyond generation alone to the wider infrastructure required to deliver the reliability and resilience people expect.”
The survey was conducted by YouGov among 2,142 UK adults on 9 and 10 July 2026. The figures were weighted to be representative of UK adults aged 18 and over. Read more here.
