• Energy Research

Policy HighlightsTo achieve the recommendation stated in the chapter title, we propose the following: Policymakers should mandate that energy decision-making processes be more inclusive, supporting both geothermal representation in large-scale energy deliberation and the inclusive engagement of local communities in individual geothermal projects. Policymakers should foster inclusive societal engagement that goes beyond the minimal requirements of consulting and informing at planning stage, to incorporate processes of deliberation and co-creation with local communities. Geothermal industry actors should practise inclusive societal engagement which is early, continuous, and sensitive to the technical specificities (e.g. local resource, subsurface uncertainties) and social challenges (e.g. low public awareness) of geothermal technologies. Language alignment activities and mutual expert elicitation can support the exchange of knowledge across social-technical disciplines, bridging disciplinary siloes to tackle the problem above.

One of the major challenges regarding energy transition is to create active support towards renewable energy installations on a local level. The CROWDTHERMAL project presents practical approaches for involving local stakeholders in different measures in order to develop acceptable solutions. Based on technical evidence and data from concrete case studies, the project shows ways how community funding can increase social acceptance towards geothermal energy installations. The presented solutions are based on alternative financial schemes studies and risk mitigation analysis in geothermal projects.

For a successful energy transition, deployment of renewable energy sources like geothermal and others is a fundamental step towards a sustainable power and heat production. In this context, public acceptance towards the respective energy projects is a crucial factor for both the number of realized projects and the speed of their realization. Based on the empirical work, the paper discusses the factors relevant for the acceptance of geothermal projects and provides an insight into new approaches for measuring acceptance and social impacts connected with geothermal projects within the conceptual frame of social license to operate. The presented approach serves as a guiding tool for public engagement as well as an instrument for monitoring acceptance and social impacts. Therefore, the paper feeds both the scientific discourse and the practical application.

Geothermal energy is a resource that has the potential for development in many countries around the world. Despite its versatility and economic viability, this resource faces numerous obstacles that hinder its deployment and capacity for achieving a similar market share as other renewable and clean energy sources. Both technical and non-technical barriers can be highly detrimental to the implementation of geothermal projects. A social license to operate (SLO) is a tool that can help the deployment of geothermal energy. As a new concept, SLO is little developed in the business literature but is still being adopted in many industries. Its main challenges reside in its context-dependence and the lack of clear frameworks to utilize it. This paper introduces, in a first known attempt, through a qualitative approach, a conceptual model of the social license to operate in the geothermal energy sector. For its development, three case studies, working group discussion and surveying were conducted in the framework of the H2020 funded CROWDTHERMAL project, which aims to empower EU citizens for direct participation in geothermal projects through crowdfunding. Findings of this paper also drew on existing general conceptual models of the SLO, and experiences from other sectors that have developed their own SLO models. The paper contributes to a more contextualized understanding of the social license within the geothermal sector and sheds the light on practices and challenges that influence the acquisition and maintenance of SLO in geothermal energy projects and initiatives.