Evaluation of Political and Economic Factors Affecting Energy Policies: Addressing Contemporary Challenges from Taiwan’s Perspective

Abstract

The shift to sustainable energy requires a thorough understanding of the elements affecting policy adoption, especially regarding political and economic dynamics. Current approaches, such as the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), mainly emphasize individual behavioral aspects, often neglecting macro-level implications. This research uses the hybrid model for energy policy adoption (HMEPA) to bridge this gap, including economic and political factors with behavioral theories to evaluate energy policy acceptability. We propose that social impact, attitudes toward the policy, and financial and political considerations substantially affect stakeholders’ acceptance intentions. We gathered 421 valid answers from people in Taiwan using a questionnaire survey and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings demonstrate that whereas effort expectation and enabling circumstances have little impact, social influence and attitude are the most significant determinants of policy adoption intention. Moreover, political variables influence attitudes and social dynamics, while economic policy impacts performance expectations, perceived behavioral control, and enabling circumstances. These results underscore the need to synchronize policy plans with political and economic realities. Policymakers may use these findings to formulate stakeholder-oriented policies that promote sustainable energy transitions.