Consensus on future EU electricity supply among citizens of France, Germany, and Poland: Implications for modeling

Abstract Energy scenarios should ideally account for societal feasibility and hence they could be informed by surveys on citizens’ preferences. This study surveyed consensus among citizens of France (N = 202), Germany (N = 199), and Poland (N = 200) on their national and EU electricity supply for 2035, considering different demographics, political orientations, and attitudes towards the transition and its governance. Results showed a broad consensus among surveyed citizens who positively viewed hydro, rooftop and open field solar, onshore and offshore wind power, biomass, and electricity savings, and who negatively viewed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and net electricity imports. Citizens on average preferred diversified national and EU scenarios with rapid decarbonization and denuclearization, limited imports from neighboring countries, and small shares of CCS. Such scenarios should be now evaluated by modelers.