Explorative study of laypeople's beliefs and acceptance of risks of electricity generation technologies

As part of its Energy Strategy 2050, Switzerland aims to substantially shift the composition of its electricity generation portfolio from today’s 38 % nuclear power plants to an almost 100 % mix of renewable technologies,... [ view full abstract ]

As part of its Energy Strategy 2050, Switzerland aims to substantially shift the composition of its electricity generation portfolio from today’s 38 % nuclear power plants to an almost 100 % mix of renewable technologies, natural gas power plants, import and efficiency measures. While the capacity for hydropower is nearly exhausted, other renewables such as enhanced geothermal systems, biogas, wind or solar energy are available and starting to scale up. All electricity generation technologies, including renewables, involve risks to the natural and built environment as well as human health and safety.
As some of these technologies are comparatively new, little is known about the public’s beliefs about risks. These risk beliefs, such as about probability of discrete hazardous events or their controllability, and trust are important because they have been found to influence the public’s acceptance of specific types of technologies. It is widely recognized that the public’s acceptance is key to enabling the energy transition, as aspired by the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050.
Thus, our research asks: what risks does the public have in mind when thinking about specific electricity generation technologies?; how do laypeople’s subjective beliefs about risks deviate from expert beliefs?; to what extent do risks of electricity generation technologies inform the preferences and acceptance of technologies?, and; do laypeople think of electricity generation as a portfolio with trade-offs between technologies and associated risks?
We present results from 12 semi-structured cognitive interviews with members of the general public in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The insights obtained will guide the development of tailor-made information material and the design of further research about informed decisions assisted by an interactive tool reflecting risk trade-offs of an individually built electricity portfolio.

This abstract is part of the "Energy transition and changing risks" symposium proposed by Evelina Trutnevyte, ETH Zurich.