Renewable energy technology usage and environmental security: Public perception and governance's role in Hail, Saudi Arabia

This study investigates how renewable energy technologies—specifically electric cars, solar photovoltaics, and wind turbines—contribute to environmental security in Saudi Arabia’s Hail region, with particular attention to the moderating impacts of public perception and regulatory governance. Using a purposive sampling approach, survey data from 275 residents are analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings reveal that wind energy technology significantly enhances environmental security, particularly when supported by public perception and regulatory governance. Conversely, electric vehicles and solar technologies demonstrated limited effectiveness in improving environmental outcomes, even with regulatory support and public perception. While respondent age influences outcomes, demographic factors such as gender, profession, and education level do not show a significant impact. The study concludes that strengthening regulatory governance is essential for optimizing the performance of electric vehicles and solar technologies and advancing environmental security objectives in the Hail province. • Wind energy technology significantly improves environmental safety, moderated by regulatory governance and public awareness. • Solar energy and electric vehicle technologies remain ineffective in environmental safety, even moderated by regulatory governance and public awareness. • While respondents’ age emerged as a relevant factor, gender, occupation, and education level do not significantly improve environmental health.