Understanding the latent needs of diverse stakeholders unfamiliar with geothermal energy

•Respondent characteristics and uncertain information limit geothermal social surveys.•Latent needs surveys using conjoint analysis minimize these limitations.•Geothermal power satisfies the electricity supply needs of respondents.•Latent needs surveys identify various perspectives on geothermal projects. Understanding stakeholders’ needs is crucial for promoting geothermal energy usage and gaining social acceptance. While local people are the key stakeholders in many geothermal projects, other groups have the potential to become directly or indirectly involved, even if they are initially unfamiliar with geothermal power generation. Variability in respondents’ knowledge and the uncertain and biased information associated with geothermal energy make it difficult to extract stakeholders’ needs when formulating a communication strategy. To evaluate stakeholders’ latent needs without providing respondents with detailed information of geothermal energy, this study develops a survey method using conjoint analysis. A web-based questionnaire survey conducted in Japan asked respondents to rank their preferences among seven power generation methods and various electricity supply conditions, which provided the factors necessary to evaluate the latent needs relating to each type of power generation. Subject knowledge is found to be lower for geothermal power generation than for the other power generation methods, although geothermal energy performs well in terms of both expressed and latent needs. Obvious differences in relative preferences among the other power generation methods are also revealed. The proposed method supports both local and outside stakeholders in identifying the various effects of geothermal projects and expressing their needs without undue burden. It is hoped that this approach will encourage stakeholders to understand each other, discuss which advantages/disadvantages of geothermal projects they can accept, and design a sustainable society that incorporates geothermal energy.