ABC Drum: Voters are backing solar power - will we get the policies to match?

The latest Lowy poll shows almost half of Australians think solar will be the primary power source in a decade. The poll shows solar power's appeal is broad among Australians, and it's clear there is much to be done to reduce emissions. The challenge now is for our governments to act, writes John Connor.

Last week I stood in a field of more than a million photovoltaic solar modules and felt like I was touching the future. Erected within 18 months at the Nyngan Solar Farm, this utility scale solar power plant can power more than 50,000 homes. Many more of these can and should be built.

With such a sun-drenched country and with more than a million Australian homes now with solar panels, it is little surprise that the latest Lowy poll out today shows almost half of Australians think solar will be the primary power source in a decade.

Solar's appeal is broad. Studies have shown photovoltaic (PV) panels are more likely to power up on the roofs of families in lower income suburbs than in wealthier suburbs. Solar has the allure of the future, but also of independence. Full independence from the grid and electricity bills may not be there for most just yet, but battery storage costs are beginning to plummet as much as solar costs have recently.

Wind power's appeal is broad too. Last year polling for The Climate Institute showed 64 per cent of Australians had wind in their top three energy sources. Solar was in the top three of 82 per cent (15 per cent had coal). Indeed, more than three quarters of Australians wanted governments to do more for renewable energy "like wind farms". With their enigmatic mix of a sleek industrial aesthetic and a primal connection to a natural resource that is also free, wind farms are a crossover technology that inspires many. And infuriates some.

But our energy system remains dominated by aging, inefficient and polluting coal-fired power stations, with some still using hardware from the 1950s.

Modernising our energy system towards the predictions uncovered in the Lowy poll will require a program of retirement of these plants whose sunk costs mean they can out-compete modern, cleaner technologies for a while yet. With political uncertainty about policies for solar, wind and other renewable energy technologies, investors will remain wary about financing the alternative.

The latest Lowy poll also confirmed a trend our own polling has shown of a rebound in support for action on climate change, "even if this involves significant costs". Support is back to levels not seen since 2009.

After the toxic carbon politics of the last few years it is easy to forget that in early 2009 there was bipartisan support for emissions trading that made big polluters begin to take responsibility for their emissions. Today, deep divisions remain amongst our politicians, some of whom appear so engaged in past battles they risk missing clear trends in support, not just for renewable energy, but also climate action.

Lowy's poll also demonstrated strong support for Australian climate leadership internationally. Almost two thirds of Australians said that Australia should have "significant emissions reductions so that other countries will be encouraged to do the same".