Geothermal energy, Social Acceptance and Responsibility in Italy: two case studies

Although the geology of Italy offers substantial geothermal resources the opportunities for energy production are underexploited and the potential of such resources is almost unknown to the general public. In order to study the societal context of geothermal energy the Italian National Research Council conducted two homogenous case studies that were part of two broader national research projects that aim to assess the potential of eventual geothermal development in Italy: (1) the VIGOR project and the (2) ATLANTE Geotermico del Mezzogiorno project. The former was carried out in Palermo (southern Italy) and the latter in Viterbo (central Italy). The two studies used both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (survey) research methods. In this paper we present a comparative analysis of the two case studies. In both case studies we found that energy questions are perceived as very politicized at the moment and even if there is a considerable openness towards geothermal technologies, the lack of trust in the decision makers can prepare the ground for important social conflicts. Concerns and the support for geothermal technologies are strongly related to the local context and past experiences. Although the results show some similarities between Viterbo and Palermo, the views of the participants were clearly shaped by local contextual factors that need to be taken into account when designing eventual developments. Palermo participants place much emphasis on eventual employment opportunities opened by innovation and regarded local corruption as an important obstacle, while in Viterbo people are particularly sensitive to water pollution and framed discussions about geothermal resources in terms of local experiences in this regard. Lack of credible information is also a key issue of both case studies. Participants in the studies welcomed the opportunity to be consulted on these issues and called for greater efforts in communication to facilitate further public engagement. Out of a range actors and stakeholders scientists and researchers are expected to play a major role as they are perceived as most trustworthy.