The Public Acceptance of Power-to-X Technologies—Results from Environmental–Psychological Research Using a Representative German Sample

Jan Hildebrand, Timo Kortsch () and Irina Rau
Additional contact information
Jan Hildebrand: Department Environmental Psychology, IZES gGmbH, Altenkesseler Straße 17, 66115 Saarbrücken, Germany
Timo Kortsch: Department of Social Sciences, IU International University of Applied Sciences, Juri-Gagarin-Ring 152, 99084 Erfurt, Germany
Irina Rau: Department Environmental Psychology, IZES gGmbH, Altenkesseler Straße 17, 66115 Saarbrücken, Germany

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-25

Abstract: Power-to-X (ptx) technologies are considered a promising solution for enabling the storage and sectoral integration of renewable energy, playing a vital role in the sustainable transition of industrialized energy systems. This study investigates the public acceptance of ptx technologies in Germany using a quantitative, environmental–psychological framework. Key influencing factors such as social and personal norms, environmental awareness, and openness to innovation are analyzed. A particular focus is placed on generational differences, comparing the perceptions of youth (16–25 years) and adults (>25 years) through a representative online survey. The results reveal a general lack of knowledge about ptx technologies yet a positive assessment of their decarbonization potential. Ecological impact—particularly the ability to reduce CO 2 emissions—emerges as the strongest predictor of acceptance. This is closely tied to conditions such as the use of renewable electricity and sustainable sourcing of carbon and water. Notably, acceptance among youth is also influenced by environmental awareness, prior knowledge, and perceived behavioral control. The results show that, in general, there is still a need for improved science communication to address the existing uncertainties in the population. At the same time, age-specific approaches are required, as perceptions and acceptance factors differ significantly between younger and older age groups.

Keywords: sustainable transition; power-to-x technologies; public acceptance; Germany; generational differences; representative sample; environmental psychology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6574/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/14/6574/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:14:p:6574-:d:1704782

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().