Research Associate Stacia Dreyer, SMEA Alum Hilary Polis, and former SMEA Professor Lekelia Jenkins recently published an article about tidal energy in Energy Research and Social Science. In the article, they assess acceptability and support for tidal energy, as well as perceived benefits and risks of tidal energy and climate change beliefs in Washington State. They also highlight how environmental psychology can contribute to a larger body of literature on life-cycle development for emergent renewable energy technologies. Support for tidal energy was high among Washington residents, and to to a greater degree if residents live close to Puget Sound. This is the first U.S. study to look broadly at residents’ beliefs and feelings about tidal energy and one of only a few worldwide to take a social science approach to examining this young industry. In a UW Today article, lead author Dreyer said, “We can focus on the technical and economic feasibility of tidal energy projects, but really at the early stages we also want to bring social science in because we shouldn’t look at these things in a vacuum or silo.”

The article “Acceptability, support, and perceptions of tidal energy in the United States,” can be accessed here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221462961730107X