Tell me how you feel about geothermal energy: Affect as a revealing factor of the role of seismic risk on public acceptance

Julia Cousse, Evelina Trutnevyte and Ulf J.J. Hahnel

Energy Policy, 2021, vol. 158, issue C

Abstract: Social acceptance of renewables, such as geothermal energy, is a key factor in successfully meeting national energy targets. Siting geothermal energy projects can be challenging because of induced seismicity related to deep geothermal energy, which may reduce public acceptance. This research investigates how informing the public about seismic risk associated with deep geothermal projects influences affect, emotions, attitudes, and the perceived risks and benefits related to both, deep and shallow geothermal projects. Two between-subjects experimental studies were conducted with representative samples of the Swiss population (N1 = 1′018; N2 = 1′007). Results show that information about seismic risk of deep geothermal energy projects significantly influences perceptions of associated projects. Specifically, a spillover effect of seismic risk information on shallow geothermal projects is observed for affect and emotions, as well as for perceived risks and benefits, but not for attitudes. Spillover effects were stronger when information about seismic risk was presented in a negative, emotionally laden manner. For policymakers, the results suggest that the population is open to the use of geothermal energy, but early communication will be key to avoiding a decline in acceptance. This research also highlights the importance of measuring affective factors, in addition to cognitive ones, in acceptance research.

Keywords: Deep geothermal energy; Shallow geothermal energy; Acceptance; Induced seismicity; Emotions; Affect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521004171
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

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:eee:enepol:v:158:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521004171

DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112547

Access Statistics for this article

Energy Policy is currently edited by N. France

More articles in Energy Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().