More voters blame energy price rises on privatisation than renewables – polling via The Guardian

Only 17.7% of respondents in polling commissioned by GetUp believe renewable energy is the primary culprit.

Australian voters have not been swayed by a campaign attempting to blame rising power prices on renewable energy, according to new polling commissioned by GetUp.

Conservative media, as well as the federal government, have been attacking renewable energy, blaming it for rising power bills as well as blackouts that were caused by extreme weather.

The federal minister for energy and the environment, Josh Frydenberg, wrote in the Australian Financial Review on Thursday: “The position has become a lot more complicated as the Labor states and territories pursue their own higher renewable energy targets, which are pushing electricity prices up, distorting market outcomes and undermining energy security.”

The comments mirrored those made by other members of the Coalition government, including the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

The campaign continued despite experts pointing out electricity price rises in South Australia mostly occurred due to rising gas prices, as well the limited number of generators with significant market power that were gaming the system.

But a nationally representative poll of 2,126 people, conducted by ReachTel and commissioned by GetUp, has shown voters haven’t been convinced that renewables are to blame for the price rises and most agreed price increases were caused by privatisation and a lack of competition.

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