Hydrogen fuels? Exploring citizens’ attitudes towards alternative primary energy sources

摘要

Although previous research indicates that the general attitude towards the use ofhydrogen as a fuel is positive, it is not clear to what extent this depends on the way it isproduced. This study aims to fill this gap by providing a first exploration of citizens’beliefs and attitudes regarding five primary energy sources that can be utilized toproduce hydrogen. The paper reports on the results of a small-scale survey completedby lay citizens in the Netherlands. The results indicate that renewable energy sources,especially solar-power, are preferred over nuclear- and fossil-based energy sources. Inaddition, beliefs with respect to nine aspects related to energy production are presented.The results indicate that primary energy sources are each assessed by different sets ofcriteria. The results imply that citizens’ preferences towards hydrogen as a car-fuel maybe affected by the way in which the fuel is produced. Therefore we argue that if theacceptance of hydrogen as a fuel is going to be studied, preferences regarding themethod by which hydrogen is produced should be taken into account.