Trust, climate threat, and environmental identity predict willingness to engage with a new government sustainability scheme

A global transition to renewable energy is critical to addressing climate change. To support the renewable energy transition, a newly announced government scheme in Australia (Solar Sharer) offers three hours of free electricity midday. It aims to make solar generation more equitable and to avoid overloading the grid. However, little is known about the public knowledge and perceptions of the scheme and the psychological drivers of the willingness to engage with it, through opting into a Solar Share tariff and shifting electricity use to midday. Our study (N = 200) provides insights into pre-introduction consumer perceptions of Solar Sharer and identifies three key constructs associated with willingness to opt into Solar Sharer and shift power use to midday: perceived climate change threat; trust in the government; and environmental identity strength. Participants like the potential cost savings, environmental aspects and equity aspects about Solar Sharer but are sceptical about general logistics and operating hours. These findings help identify the psychological determinants of engagement with a major governmental energy initiative and offer practical recommendations for governmental messaging when introducing such schemes. More broadly, the findings highlight the importance of environmental identity, climate concern, and institutional trust in shaping public uptake of behavioural interventions supporting the renewable energy transition.