An Application of Social Science to Inform the Stakeholder Engagement of an Emerging Geothermal Industry in Australia

At the peak of geothermal energy development in Australia, government policy suggested geothermal energy would be a greater part of Australia’s energy supply. As the geothermal industry emerged, social scientists at Australia’s national science agency conducted a series of studies to explore perceptions of this industry. This chapter outlines the history and potential of the geothermal resource in Australia, the rationale and main findings of three social science studies conducted and their implications for building the industry’s capacity for stakeholder engagement. Specifically, the three studies identified: (1) the industry’s perspective of its social licence; (2) the representation of the technology in the news media; and (3) community perceptions. While the Australian geothermal industry has stalled due to economic and technical challenges, the social science studies presented in this chapter offer relevant insights for other emerging geothermal or energy industries, globally.