Differences in Public Perceptions of Geothermal Energy Technology in Australia

Abstract

Abstract:In Australia, geothermal energy technology is still considered an emerging technology for energy generation. Like other emerging energy technologies, how the public perceive the technology and under what conditions they are likely to accept or oppose the technology, remains relatively unknown. In response, this exploratory research utilised online focus groups to identify: (1) the extent of agreement with geothermal technology before and after information, including media reports focusing on a range of the technology's attributes; and (2) how the characteristics of individuals with different levels of agreement vary. After information, within the sample of 101 participants, fewer reported being unsure, the minority disagreed and the majority agreed. Overall, the preference was for projects to be located away from communities. Participants that disagreed or were unsure, were more likely to report lower subjective knowledge of the technology, lower perceived benefits and higher risks, and were less likely to believe people in their community would have the opportunity to participate in consultation. These characteristics suggest there are advances to be made by analyzing what contributes to different levels of acceptance. The findings also suggest that the location of projects will be an important consideration and that the conditions of acceptance are likely to vary amongst community members.

Societal acceptance of an emerging energy technology: How is geothermal energy portrayed in Australian media?

“…A study by Carr-Cornish and Romanach [26] tested Australians reaction to geothermal energy information that is currently available on the internet. Information provided to participants included a mix of factual and non-factual information.…”

An online survey to evaluate the awareness and acceptance of geothermal energy among an educated segment of the population in five European and American countries

“…The implementation of appropriate communication strategies on energy transition projects such as geothermal energy can have a positive impact on the way the projects are understood and accepted. An example is the study presented by Carr-Cornish and Romanach (2014) about the change in perception of a geothermal project when participants acquired knowledge on the subject, noting that the change in attitude is evident even when concerns related to groundwater contamination or induced seismicity persist. In addition, the location of the geothermal plant was presented as a limitation, since participants preferred drilling sites to be more than 100 km from their homes.…”

“…Moreover, the media have also a crucial role about this discussion, depending on the manner they present deep geothermal energy to the public, as analyzed by Stauffacher et al (2015), who highlighted the requirement of transparency and diligent monitoring of communication and public engagement. There are multiple factors that affect opinion on geothermal energy, such as contamination of groundwater, sustainability of water resources, uncertainty about reversibility, seismic activity, cost-benefit ratio, the level of knowledge about the technologies, dissemination channels, the integration of various actors in project planning and public consultation exercises, among others (Dowd et al 2011;Carr-Cornish and Romanach 2014;Chavot et al 2018). Under these considerations, in the context of the research project IGCP636Y "Unifying international research forces to unlock the geothermal energy" of the UNESCO's International Geoscience Program (IGCP), an online survey was conducted to an audience constituted mainly by people with a scientific background and high education level in Canada, Colombia, Chile, France, and Belgium.…”

Geothermal Energy: Delivering on the Global Potential

“…Public approval cannot be taken for granted. There is good evidence that provision of information helps improve the approval rating of geothermal, yet perceived risks (which bear little relation to reality, and are possibly driven by the negative publicity surrounding other subsurface technologies, such as shale gas) led to a majority of participants in an Australian survey favouring siting of geothermal wellfields far from communities [11]. This is at odds with the requirements for district heating (which is, admittedly, of little concern in the warm Australian climate, where interest in geothermal has focused far more on its potential to produce electricity).…”

“…While lack of appropriate technology for deep, mid-enthalpy systems is partly to blame, and is exacerbated by a persistent lack of public understanding of invisible, subsurface phenomena [11], discussions with investors and engineers throughout the geothermal sector invariably identify two common factors inhibiting more rapid uptake of geothermal energy across all enthalpy categories: (i) uncertainties over resource availability in poorly-explored reservoirs; and (ii) the cost profile, in which a large proportion of the full-lifetime costs of systems are concentrated in early-stage capital expenditure (capex).…”