Explaining local residents’ acceptance of rebuilding nuclear power plants: The roles of perceived general benefit and perceived local benefit

Abstract Although many new nuclear power plant (NPP) projects, such as the addition of a new reactor, have been proposed at the locations of existing nuclear installations, little attention has been given to research on the acceptance of such rebuilding projects by local residents living near the existing NPPs. The present study develops a theoretical model that examines the influences of environmental concern, place attachment, perceived benefit, and perceived risk on local acceptance of rebuilding NPPs. The study also divides perceived benefit into two dimensions, namely, perceived general benefit and perceived local benefit. Using data from an online questionnaire-based survey in China, the results indicate that for the surveyed local residents, rebuilding acceptance is positively influenced by perceived local benefit and perceived general benefit but is negatively affected by perceived risk. Perceived local benefit is the dominant factor influencing local rebuilding acceptance. Contrary to expectations, environmental concern positively affects the perceived benefit, which in turn positively affects local rebuilding acceptance. Moreover, place attachment positively affects the perceived benefit and negatively affects the perceived risk, which in turn positively affects local rebuilding acceptance. Based on these findings, theoretical implications and policy suggestions are discussed.