8.2. Surveys to determine public concern

8.2a First survey to determine the level of concern among the population (2018)

Project management: aproxima GmbH Weimar
Start: 1 August 2018
End: 31 July 2019

Background

Many new power lines are currently being planned in Germany. Some are already under construction. However, there are numerous citizens' initiatives, some of which are massively opposed to the power line expansion. Concerns about power line construction vary widely among the population: Among other things, it is about the sensibleness of the power line construction, the health, the loss of value, the disfigurement of the landscape, and much more. The from time to time extensive media coverage also reaches groups of the population that are not directly affected by the power line expansion.

Objective

This survey is one of several planned surveys on the same topic. These surveys will be used to assess the public's perception and knowledge of the health risks posed by magnetic fields in the vicinity of power lines. Concerns about these possible risks require appropriate risk communication by the BfS.

Implementation

The survey was conducted in two parts.

• A German-wide population survey representative of the German population
• An in-depth survey with residents along power lines (existing and newly constructed or planned)

This survey answered two sets of questions:

1. Perception/risk perception and health
2. Knowledge, information behaviour, and action

Result

1. Results on perception/risk perception and health

The concern of the respondents is greater for planned power lines than for existing ones. They are more likely to feel affected and consequently describe their health as worse than residents living further away.
The visual impact of a high-voltage power line is greater than the health impact. Health problems such as sleep disorders, headaches, and concentration problems are more likely to be attributed to the high-frequency fields of mobile communications. Compared with other health risks, the fields from high-voltage power lines are considered to be comparatively low.

2. Results on knowledge, information behaviour, and action

Respondents feel less affected by household appliances, which are considered necessary, than by high-voltage power lines.

Only one quarter of the respondents feels well to very well informed. There is interest in information on health risks, precautionary measures, and limit value recommendations. Apart from the internet and mass media, the main source of information is conversations in one's own environment.
People who live near a high-voltage power line have a greater desire for information. The self-efficacy of precaution is rated higher in the vicinity of high-voltage power lines.

However, for the precaution itself, the state, the energy industry, and the device manufacturers themselves are seen as being more responsible than the individual. About half of the people interviewed said that they carry out preventive measures individually. A precaution that has already been implemented is that 83 % of these respondents use less technical and, above all, energy-saving appliances and also switch them off more often (88 % of respondents with a positive attitude towards precaution). Some respondents switch off the power supply at night.

The state, the scientific community, and the energy industry followed by doctors, citizens' initiatives, and self-help groups are considered to be highly knowledgeable with regard to precaution and low-frequency fields. Both the Federal Environment Ministry and the Federal Office for Radiation Protection are well known among the population (70–80 %).

Specific measurements in one's own living environment are desired by 67 % of the respondents from the main survey. In the additional sample (i.e. the in-depth survey with residents living near existing and future high-voltage power lines), the respondents showed an average interest in on-site measurements of the magnetic field. In the group of people living in the vicinity of an existing high-voltage power line, about half were interested. If the power line is only planned, 42 % are interested.

As they get older, women are more concerned and cautious about the fields from high-voltage power lines than men.

The final report of the project is available in DORIS, the online repository of the BfS.

8.2b Second survey to determine the level of concern among the population (2022)

Project management: aproxima GmbH Weimar
Start: 1 February 2022
End: expected 31 January 2023

Background

In Germany, the power grid expansion is progressing. The next phase of the expansion of "hybrid lines", which will begin in 2021, should be emphasised here. Existing high-voltage overhead lines will be converted for the new type of simultaneous transmission of direct and alternating current. In the course of the energy transition, this technological innovation will be used to transmit electric-ity from distant offshore wind farms and photovoltaic plants. However, several citizens' initiatives are massively opposed to the power line expansion. Concerns about power line expansion vary widely among the population. Among other things, people are concerned about the feasibility of the power line expansion, the health of the general population, the loss of value, and the defacing of the landscape. The sometimes intensive media coverage also reaches groups of the population that are not directly affected by the power line expansion.

Objective

This survey is the second of several planned surveys on the topic. The aim of the study is to assess public opinion and knowledge about electricity grids and the expansion of these and to compare it with the 2019 study. In order to better understand these concerns and to address them appropriately, appropriate risk communication on the part of BfS is needed.

Implementation

The survey will be conducted with a mixed-methods design in two parts:

• a Germany-wide representative survey consisting of a telephone interview survey as well as an online survey (new compared with the previous study) in order to better reach younger population groups.
• an in-depth survey of residents living along power lines (existing and newly constructed or planned)

This survey will answer two sets of questions:

• perception/risk perception and health
• knowledge, information behaviour, and action

Whilst the first survey (2018) focused more on the first set of questions, the new survey (2022) will focus on the second set, especially the knowledge dimension.