PUBLIC CONCERNS S. R. McNeal PRC Energy Analysis Company This paper focuses on the role of the public in the SPS Concept Development and Evaluation Program (CDEP). The role of the public is important for two reasons: 1) public acceptance is an essential part of its ultimate realization; 2) public acceptance is no longer possible unless the public is involved, to the extent that its concerns are made known and satisfactorily resolved in the development process. Public acceptance was studied by A. Bachrach, Environmental Resources Group and S. Klineberg and C. Gordon, Rice University. The results of these studies suggest that public acceptance of SPS will not be easily obtained, yet it will be essential to its development. There are several issues about SPS which are likely to be important in public acceptance, some of which are the effects of microwaves, centralization/decentralization and military implications. Public involvement in the SPS CDEP consisted of an experimental effort to acquire feedback about the SPS concept from the constituents of three public interest groups: Citizen's Energy Project (CEP), Forum for the Advancement of Students in Science and Technology (FASST), and the L-5 Society (L-5). The objectives of this outreach effort were to determine the initial response and reaction to the SPS concept by each group, determine the areas of major concern relative to the SPS concept, and gain experience of an outreach process for use in future public outreach efforts. The steps involved in the outreach effort are presented in Figure 1. Each group summarized 20 SPS White Papers and distributed them to 3,000 consti- uents with a request for feedback. The methods to accomplish these tasks were independently chosen by each group. Therefore, the kinds of information received, both qualitatively and quantitatively are a result of the methods used to obtain this information and are different for each group. Each group also identified the most frequent questions asked by respondees. These questions were condensed and combined, totalling 44, which were sent out to the SPS Research and Development (R & D) Task Force for answers. The questions and answers have been printed by DOE and sent to interested individuals in all three groups. Each group has also requested feedback from their respective constituents who are recipients of the questions and answers. The outreach program was a successful program of public involvement and participation in the SPS CDEP evidenced by the following results: 1) 9,200 individuals/ organizations received information about the SPS concept; 2) approximately 1,400 receipients of this information took the initiative to provide feedback (15%); 3) major concerns, fears, risks and benefits of the SPS concept as perceived by respondents were identified; 4) the values of each group and their position relative to SPS were identified; 5) the DOE/SPS Project Office, R & D Task Managers and contracted field researchers learned of the concerns and questions of the respondents. A review of other federal programs for public involvement suggests that the SPS public outreach is unique and unprecedented. The differentiating circumstances
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