IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v60y2013icp866-875.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Investment barriers and incentives for marine renewable energy in the UK: An analysis of investor preferences

Author

Listed:
  • Leete, Simeon
  • Xu, Jingjing
  • Wheeler, David

Abstract

Deployment of marine renewable energy (MRE) in the UK is desirable in order to address climate change, meet mandatory EU renewable energy targets and provide significant economic development opportunities, including new export markets. Public funding constraints in the UK mean that substantial investment is required from the private sector to commercialize the industry. By focussing on investor attitudes and behaviours towards wave and tidal technologies, this paper reveals significant observations from the investment community with serious implications for the future of the MRE industry. Through a series of in-depth interviews with individuals from the investment community, device developers and industry support, the research seeks to identify common barriers and incentives to investment. The paper demonstrates that although investors' attitudes are generally aligned, they do appear to have changed over time. Of the participants that had previously invested in early stage MRE device development, none were likely to do so again. It is concluded that this is a function of investors' greater understanding of the scale, and unpredictability of the costs, and the length of time required to develop these technologies. This presents a significant policy challenge for all actors interested in the commercialization of wave and tidal technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • Leete, Simeon & Xu, Jingjing & Wheeler, David, 2013. "Investment barriers and incentives for marine renewable energy in the UK: An analysis of investor preferences," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 866-875.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:60:y:2013:i:c:p:866-875
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421513003431
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.011?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Weyant, John P., 2011. "Accelerating the development and diffusion of new energy technologies: Beyond the "valley of death"," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 674-682, July.
    2. Philippe Menanteau & Dominique Finon & Marie-Laure Lamy, 2003. "Prices versus quantities :environmental policies for promoting the development of renewable energy," Post-Print halshs-00480457, HAL.
    3. Masini, Andrea & Menichetti, Emanuela, 2012. "The impact of behavioural factors in the renewable energy investment decision making process: Conceptual framework and empirical findings," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 28-38.
    4. Foxon, T. J. & Gross, R. & Chase, A. & Howes, J. & Arnall, A. & Anderson, D., 2005. "UK innovation systems for new and renewable energy technologies: drivers, barriers and systems failures," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(16), pages 2123-2137, November.
    5. Blanco, María Isabel, 2009. "The economics of wind energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 13(6-7), pages 1372-1382, August.
    6. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Løvdal, Nicolai & Neumann, Frank, 2011. "Internationalization as a strategy to overcome industry barriers--An assessment of the marine energy industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1093-1100, March.
    8. Huber, Claus & Faber, Thomas & Haas, Reinhard & Resch, Gustav, 2004. "Organising a joint green European electricity market: the model ElGreen," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 197-210.
    9. Bürer, Mary Jean & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2009. "Which renewable energy policy is a venture capitalist's best friend? Empirical evidence from a survey of international cleantech investors," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 4997-5006, December.
    10. Adams, Michelle & Wheeler, David & Woolston, Genna, 2011. "A participatory approach to sustainable energy strategy development in a carbon-intensive jurisdiction: The case of Nova Scotia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2550-2559, May.
    11. Menanteau, Philippe & Finon, Dominique & Lamy, Marie-Laure, 2003. "Prices versus quantities: choosing policies for promoting the development of renewable energy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 799-812, June.
    12. Kenneth Arrow, 1962. "Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention," NBER Chapters, in: The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity: Economic and Social Factors, pages 609-626, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Agnolucci, Paolo, 2006. "Use of economic instruments in the German renewable electricity policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(18), pages 3538-3548, December.
    14. Mathews, John A. & Kidney, Sean & Mallon, Karl & Hughes, Mark, 2010. "Mobilizing private finance to drive an energy industrial revolution," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3263-3265, July.
    15. Andrea Masini & E. Menichetti, 2012. "The impact of behavioural factors in the renewable energy investment decision making process: Conceptual framework and empirical findings," Post-Print hal-00651706, HAL.
    16. Wiser, Ryan & Bolinger, Mark & Barbose, Galen, 2007. "Using the Federal Production Tax Credit to Build a Durable Market for Wind Power in the United States," The Electricity Journal, Elsevier, vol. 20(9), pages 77-88, November.
    17. Meyer, Niels I. & Koefoed, Anne Louise, 2003. "Danish energy reform: policy implications for renewables," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(7), pages 597-607, June.
    18. Wüstenhagen, Rolf & Menichetti, Emanuela, 2012. "Strategic choices for renewable energy investment: Conceptual framework and opportunities for further research," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 1-10.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. del Río, Pablo & Bleda, Mercedes, 2012. "Comparing the innovation effects of support schemes for renewable electricity technologies: A function of innovation approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 272-282.
    2. Polzin, Friedemann & Migendt, Michael & Täube, Florian A. & von Flotow, Paschen, 2015. "Public policy influence on renewable energy investments—A panel data study across OECD countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 98-111.
    3. Corrocher, Nicoletta & Cappa, Elisabetta, 2020. "The Role of public interventions in inducing private climate finance: An empirical analysis of the solar energy sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    4. Polzin, Friedemann, 2017. "Mobilizing private finance for low-carbon innovation – A systematic review of barriers and solutions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 525-535.
    5. Darmani, Anna, 2015. "Renewable energy investors in Sweden: A cross-subsector analysis of dynamic capabilities," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 46-57.
    6. Taedong Lee, 2021. "Financial investment for the development of renewable energy capacity," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(6), pages 1103-1116, September.
    7. Jenner, Steffen & Groba, Felix & Indvik, Joe, 2013. "Assessing the strength and effectiveness of renewable electricity feed-in tariffs in European Union countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 385-401.
    8. Shrimali, Gireesh & Nelson, David & Goel, Shobhit & Konda, Charith & Kumar, Raj, 2013. "Renewable deployment in India: Financing costs and implications for policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 28-43.
    9. Lüthi, Sonja & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2012. "The price of policy risk — Empirical insights from choice experiments with European photovoltaic project developers," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 1001-1011.
    10. Grashof, Katherina, 2019. "Are auctions likely to deter community wind projects? And would this be problematic?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 20-32.
    11. Niesten, Eva & Jolink, Albert & Chappin, Maryse, 2018. "Investments in the Dutch onshore wind energy industry: A review of investor profiles and the impact of renewable energy subsidies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2519-2525.
    12. Jenkins, Lekelia Danielle & Dreyer, Stacia Jeanne & Polis, Hilary Jacqueline & Beaver, Ezra & Kowalski, Adam A. & Linder, Hannah L. & McMillin, Thomas Neal & McTiernan, Kaylie Laura & Rogier, Thea The, 2018. "Human dimensions of tidal energy: A review of theories and frameworks," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 323-337.
    13. Shahriyar Nasirov & Carlos Silva & Claudio A. Agostini, 2015. "Investors’ Perspectives on Barriers to the Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Chile," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-21, April.
    14. Martin, Nigel J. & Rice, John L., 2012. "Developing renewable energy supply in Queensland, Australia: A study of the barriers, targets, policies and actions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 119-127.
    15. Sovacool, Benjamin K., 2010. "A comparative analysis of renewable electricity support mechanisms for Southeast Asia," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 1779-1793.
    16. Bean, Patrick & Blazquez, Jorge & Nezamuddin, Nora, 2017. "Assessing the cost of renewable energy policy options – A Spanish wind case study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 180-186.
    17. Pereira, Guillermo Ivan & Niesten, Eva & Pinkse, Jonatan, 2022. "Sustainable energy systems in the making: A study on business model adaptation in incumbent utilities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    18. García-Álvarez, María Teresa & Cabeza-García, Laura & Soares, Isabel, 2017. "Analysis of the promotion of onshore wind energy in the EU: Feed-in tariff or renewable portfolio standard?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 256-264.
    19. F.H.J. Polzin & M.W.J.L. Sanders & Florian Täube, 2017. "A diverse and resilient financial system for investments in the energy transition," Working Papers 17-03, Utrecht School of Economics.
    20. Ghorashi, Amir Hossein & Maranlou, Hadi, 2021. "Essential infrastructures and relevant policies for renewable energy developments in oil-rich developing countries: Case of Iran," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:60:y:2013:i:c:p:866-875. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.