Unions says public backs its push for government funding of renewable energy to power big industry

Seven out of 10 Australians back government spending on renewable energy to power manufacturing facilities cheaply.

Public support for energy infrastructure privatisation is much lower, the same polling commissioned by Renew Australia for All has found.

The surveying follows the launch of “Sovereign Power”, a proposal for a Commonwealth-owned agency to build, own and operate renewable energy projects predominantly to provide low-cost power to the energy-intensive manufacturing base.

The pitch from Electrical Trades Union and McKell Institute has framed a national power agency as an improvement on the series of haphazard bailouts granted to aluminium smelters and other heavy-industry companies struggling to withstand high energy prices.

The survey conducted by 89 Degrees East found three-quarters of roughly 4000 Australians polled believed the government should play a larger role in building and running energy infrastructure.