From Policy Strategies to Local Realities: Expectations of and Factors Shaping Public Engagement in Emerging Energy Infrastructures

Emerging energy technologies are increasingly promoted in science and policy as necessary to limit emissions overshoot and support the mid-term achievement of climate targets. While many countries are developing ambitious strategies to pilot and deploy technologies such as hydrogen, greenhouse gas removal, and advanced nuclear systems, limited empirical evidence exists on the role the public is expected to play in their demonstration and deployment, or on the conditions under which citizens are willing to engage with or support these infrastructures. Emerging energy technologies can significantly reshape local energy systems and places. For instance, renewable energy installations may be developed to supply hydrogen production, small modular nuclear reactors may raise safety and security concerns at the local level, and carbon capture and storage or hydrogen transport infrastructures may alter landscapes and industrial environments. These developments raise important questions about public legitimacy, place-based impacts, and governance responsibilities. This paper examines the factors influencing citizens’ willingness to engage with or support emerging energy infrastructure developments, and explores whether—and how—expectations and preferences of engagement differ between citizens and institutional actors, including policymakers and project developers. We present new empirical findings from a representative web-based survey conducted in Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, complemented by semi-structured interviews with experts and citizen representatives across Europe. By linking policy strategies to local engagement expectations, the paper contributes to ongoing debates on legitimacy, governance, and public participation in the deployment of emerging and controversial energy infrastructures.