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Opinion Surveys
Public opinion of wind power developments has remained quite popular among the French public. A 2021 Harris Interactive survey shows that 76% of the French public have a positive view of wind power.[1] This survey also shows that 77% of the French public living within five kilometers of a wind farm have a positive view of wind power. This is backed up by a 2021 IFOP survey, which shows that 77% of the public has a positive view.[2]

Surveys from the past ten years are consistent. Various surveys on this subject since 2010 have consistently shown that between 70% and 80% of the French public have a positive view of wind energy. There are various reasons behind supporting and opposing wind power within France’s population.

Collective Importance for Energy Transition
91% of the French public believes that the energy transition is a very high stake for French society today.[3] French President Emmanuel Macron announced France 2030, a plan which budgets €2.3 billion in renewable energy development until 2030.[4] This pairs with the fact that 82% of French people believe that wind energy is an energy source for the future.[5] The strong belief within in wind energy being a viable source of energy in the future and the strong political salience of the energy transition, together, explain why many in the French public support the installation of wind energy.

Positive Impact on the Economy
A Harris Interactive survey showed that 77% of French people believe that wind turbines are a considerable source of revenue for the regions in which they are in place. Jobs in the wind energy sector are also projected to increase.[6] In 2019, France’s onshore wind sector was composed of around 900 companies, employing just over 20000 people.[7] In 2021, this number is now over 25000 people.[8] If Macron’s France 2030 stays on track with its vision, jobs in the renewable energy industry, including wind, are projected to continue increasing until 2030. This fits public opinion, as 68% of French people believe that wind development will create jobs.

Negative Impact on Living Conditions
There have been many examples of resistance to wind power developments due to the negative living environment. Reasons may include increased noise, negative impact on the landscape, and tourist and heritage degradation. For example, in 2012, the construction of three offshore wind turbines had to be abandoned, due to a fear of patrimonial degradation of the Mont St. Michel. After fierce local protests, UNESCO threatened to demote the monument from its World Heritage status, prompting organizers to abandon these wind farms.

In 2023, a protest organized by “Vent Debout” in Dunkerque aimed to stop the ongoing development of offshore wind turbines 10 kilometers from the coast. The main reason for the opposition was the visual degradation of the coastline. A local inhabitant explained that wind turbines would remove the future generations’ chance of experiencing the beautiful coast the way they were able to.[9]

Impact on Environment
There is significant worry about offshore wind projects harming the environment and other animals. According to an IFOP poll, 68% of the French public believes that offshore wind turbines are dangerous for birds, marine environments, and fishing.[10] In 2021, a group of 400 fishermen protested against offshore wind turbines in the Le Havre region. The group claimed that since offshore wind turbines started to be developed 15 years ago, the number of fish in the sea has been decreasing. In response, protestors blocked ferry exits and dumped fish in front of a local fishing committee.[11]

[1] https://harris-interactive.fr/opinion_polls/comment-les-francais-et-les-riverains-de-parcs-eoliens-percoivent-ils-lenergie-eolienne-vague-2/ )

[2] https://www.ifop.com/publication/les-connaissances-des-francais-en-matiere-denergie-eolienne/

[3] https://harris-interactive.fr/opinion_polls/comment-les-francais-et-les-riverains-de-parcs-eoliens-percoivent-ils-lenergie-eolienne-vague-2/

[4] https://www.economie.gouv.fr/files/files/2021/France-2030.pdf?v=1703080909

[5] https://elabe.fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/politique-energetique.pdf

[6] https://harris-interactive.fr/opinion_polls/comment-les-francais-et-les-riverains-de-parcs-eoliens-percoivent-ils-lenergie-eolienne-vague-2/

[7] Khadija EL Kinani, Simon Meunier, Lionel Vido, Sandrine Le Ballois, Interdisciplinary analysis of wind energy - a focus on France, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Volume 55, 2023, 102944, ISSN 2213-1388,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2022.102944.

[8] http://www.journal-eolien.org/tout-sur-l-eolien/l-emploi-dans-l-eolien-2/

[9] https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/societe/manifestation-anti-eoliennes-a-dunkerque-on-veut-garder-notre-littoral-intact-6665986

[10] https://www.ifop.com/publication/limage-de-lenergie-eolienne-aupres-des-francais/

[11] https://www.tf1info.fr/environnement-ecologie/cherbourg-le-havre-dunkerque-pourquoi-des-pecheurs-francais-se-mobilisent-contre-les-projets-de-parcs-eoliens-2197254.html