Results of the 2004 U.S. Department of Energy Susrveys Measuring Knowledge of and Opinions on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
- ORNL
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) designed and conducted statistical surveys of four distinct populations in the United States during calendar year 2004. The objectives of the surveys were to measure knowledge levels and determine opinions about the use and safety of hydrogen and fuel cells. Results of the surveys establish a baseline for use in developing and guiding an education program. The surveys will be repeated in the future to ascertain any changes in knowledge and opinions over time. The surveys were designed to sample 1,000 individuals in the general public, ages 18 and over; 1,000 students, ages 12-17; 250 state and local government officials; and 100 potential large-scale end users. For every population group, opinions about the safe use of hydrogen as an energy carrier were closely related to technical understanding. Individuals who scored higher on the technical knowledge questions were more likely to have an opinion about hydrogen technology safety and the opinion was more likely to be positive. The methodology was successful in measuring knowledge levels and opinions of the target populations. Because the survey instruments were very similar, comparisons could be made among the target populations. When repeated in the future, the survey results will be able to compare knowledge levels and opinions about hydrogen and fuel cells to the current results. Although knowledge-assessment surveys cannot always pinpoint causality of changes in knowledge and opinions, subsequent surveys identical in methodology to the baseline surveys can measure changes from baseline knowledge levels.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 978243
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: TRB 85th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, USA, 20060122, 20060126
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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