Article
Wildre-mitigating power shut-offs promote household-level adaptation but not climate policy support
Research Square
(2021)
Abstract
Unmitigated climate change threatens to disrupt energy systems, for example through weather- and wildfire-induced electricity shortages. Public responses to these energy crises have the potential to shape decarbonization trajectories. Here, we estimate the attitudinal and behavioral effects of Californian power shut-offs in 2019, intended to reduce wildfire ignition risks. We use a geographically targeted survey to compare residents living within outage zones to matched residents in similar neighborhoods who retained their electricity. Outage experience increased respondent intentions to purchase gas or diesel generators and home battery systems, but reduced intentions to purchase electric vehicles. Respondents blamed outages on their utility, not local, state, or federal governments. However, outages did not change climate policy preferences, including willingness-to-pay for either wildfire or climate-mitigating reforms. Our findings show that, in reaction to some climate-linked dis- ruptions, individuals may undertake adaptive responses that, collectively, could exacerbate future climate risks.Â
Disciplines
Publication Date
2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-631250/v1
Citation Information
Peter D Howe. "Wildre-mitigating power shut-offs promote household-level adaptation but not climate policy support" Research Square (2021) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peter_howe/116/