Evaluation of the Factors Affecting Social Acceptance in Energy Investments
Project no. 1259 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
Objective; In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the factors affecting social acceptance against energy investments in the society. Social acceptance against energy investments can be influenced by many factors such as socio-cultural, political, economic and technical factors. Intensified energy investments due to the increasing energy demand in Turkey can cause environment based social movements against these investments in various parts of the country's. From this point of view, multidimensional evaluation of social acceptance in energy investments that are expected to have potential effects on the natural environment is seen as an important issue. Material and Method; In the study, İzmir Bornova district center was determined as the universe and the individuals aged 18 years and over were covered. The sample of study consisted of 236 individuals determined by simple random sampling method. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Chiago, III, USA) 16.0 statistical program. Frequency analysis and percentages were used in data analysis and chi-square test was used to determine the difference between the variables. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Discussion and Conclusion; Social acceptance for renewable energy investments is lower than for conventional energy production investments. It is noteworthy that while the lowest social acceptance rate is nuclear energy investments with a percentage level of them, particularly low tolerance to geothermal investments. As effective factors in social acceptance, the distance to the living area of the investment, the negative impacts on the natural environment, human health and agricultural areas are seen as determining factors. However, transparency and public participation in energy investment decision-making processes are seen as factors affecting social acceptance positively. It should not be seen as a threat or obstacle to the attitudes or opposition of the society to investment by the decision-makers concerned with social acceptance, which are confronted as a dynamic factor in all stages of energy investments, especially when the society is interested in the issue.