Natural Gas the Way Forward for Germany, Poll Shows

Citizens of Germany believe that natural gas should become the main back-up energy source for renewables, opinion poll conducted by Forsa institute shows. The results of the survey are cited by WINGAS, one of the largest gas suppliers on the German market.

The opinion poll was aimed to test the attitude of the citizens of Germany towards the reform of the country’s energy sector (Energiewende), that stipulates growth of the market share of renewables and phase-out of nuclear power plants. The poll showed 70% of respondents were in favor of natural gas as the best possible energy source to supplement renewables. Other fossil fuels as well as nuclear power did not gain such broad support.

“We need to set the future course now, this year, if the energy transition is to succeed. We need to transform our overall energy supply in such a manner that we can reconcile climate protection with supply security in a cost effective manner with electricity, heating and mobility. Cleverly combining the vast potential provided by renewables and natural gas will be of crucial importance here,” explains WINGAS Chairman Dr. Gerhard König.

Skepticism prevails among Germans towards the energy transformation: 64% of respondents suspect energy transition could lead to bottlenecks or even failures in energy supply.

Forsa surveyed over 1000 citizens including 570 households.

[mappress]
Press Release, May 27, 2014