Does transmission technology influence acceptance of overhead power lines? An empirical study

Abstract

For the transmission of electricity across long distances, high voltage direct current (DC) transmission is discussed in Germany as an alternative to the currently used alternating current (AC) as it is more efficient for these distances. Changes in energy infrastructure are known to raise public awareness. However, little is known whether differences in transmission technology are relevant for the public and if so, to what extent. Two consecutive empirical studies were run in which acceptance towards transmission lines operated with DC in contrast to AC was explored. AC and DC power lines were not evaluated differently, yielding overall quite neutral ratings (Study 1) which might be due to a low information level in the public. A closer look (Study 2) showed that giving information on technical and design parameters of the transmission lines used for either AC or DC technology also did not change attitudes substantially. It is therefore concluded that transmission technology alone did not influence acceptance of power lines for the investigated sample. In addition, a need for more information on DC for high voltage transmission was identified. Further research is required on the influence of different power line layout of AC and DC on acceptance.