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A STEP toward understanding wind power development policy barriers in advanced economies

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  • Valentine, Scott Victor

Abstract

A widely accepted premise regarding wind power development policy is that implementation of economic policy instruments, which are designed to close the cost gap between wind power and entrenched fossil fuel power generation technologies, will significantly catalyze enhanced levels of wind power development activity. This paper contests this premise by arguing that non-economic barriers to wind power development have the capacity to significantly inhibit wind power development in industrialized nations despite the implementation of economic policy instruments. Forces which deter wind power development in four economically advanced economies that exhibit phlegmatic progress in wind power development - Australia, Canada, Japan and Taiwan - are identified and amalgamated into a STEP framework describing social, technical, economic and political forces that inhibit wind power development. The conclusions of this analysis are twofold. First, failure to mitigate these STEP forces may undermine the efficacy of any given economic policy instrument that aims to close the cost gap between wind power and entrenched generation technologies. Second, attempts to mitigate these impediments might represent a way to achieve better policy results with less government financial commitment.

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  • Valentine, Scott Victor, 2010. "A STEP toward understanding wind power development policy barriers in advanced economies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(9), pages 2796-2807, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:14:y:2010:i:9:p:2796-2807
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    5. Valentine, Scott Victor, 2011. "Understanding the variability of wind power costs," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(8), pages 3632-3639.
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    8. Huang, Shih-Chieh & Lo, Shang-Lien & Lin, Yen-Ching, 2013. "Application of a fuzzy cognitive map based on a structural equation model for the identification of limitations to the development of wind power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 851-861.
    9. Min Lu & Yu Chen & Debin Zhang & Jingyuan Su & Yong Kang, 2019. "Virtual Synchronous Control Based on Control Winding Orientation for Brushless Doubly Fed Induction Generator (BDFIG) Wind Turbines Under Symmetrical Grid Faults," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, January.
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    11. Shanwu Tian & Xiurui Xu & Ping Li, 2021. "Acknowledgement network and citation count: the moderating role of collaboration network," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(9), pages 7837-7857, September.
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    13. Farkat Diógenes, Jamil Ramsi & Coelho Rodrigues, José & Farkat Diógenes, Maria Caroline & Claro, João, 2020. "Overcoming barriers to onshore wind farm implementation in Brazil," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
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    17. Feurtey, Evariste & Ilinca, Adrian & Sakout, Anas & Saucier, Carol, 2015. "Lessons learned in France and Quebec regarding financial and legal mechanisms to develop renewable energy: A hybrid model as an acceptable solution for onshore wind?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 34-45.
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    19. Berka, Anna L. & Harnmeijer, Jelte & Roberts, Deborah & Phimister, Euan & Msika, Joshua, 2017. "A comparative analysis of the costs of onshore wind energy: Is there a case for community-specific policy support?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 394-403.

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