Green Power Markets: Support Schemes, Case Studies and Perspectives (Electronic book text)

This book focuses on one of the core topics of European Union energy policy: the increase and support of renewable sources for electricity production. It looks at the practicalities that are being addressed as renewable energy does indeed become a significant part of the energy supply mix: renewables are now the third largest contributor to global electricity production. Developments in energy policy in a range of key countries with focus on barriers and drivers towards further expansion of renewable sources and how those developments helped or hindered the growth in the use of renewables are analysed in detail from various perspectives. Additionally issues such as how policy developments have affected relations between the various actors in the energy supply chain are also considered. This collection of 25 expert contributions is provided by academics who have been attending the REFORM (Restructuring Energy Systems For Optimal Resource Management) meetings since 2003. The REFORM Group is an informal group of scientists which focus on analysing the political transformation of energy systems and energy policy. The group consists of experts from Norway, Germany, The Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, Denmark, Austria, Sweden and Finland. Furthermore, energy scholars and experts from the United States, Canada, Middle Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Japan, Brazil and India are participating in the meetings of the group. The book charts the development and integration of renewables into the national electrical energy supply, from an energy policy perspective. As such, it will be of great interest for scholars of European integration and of energy policy as well as for practitioners in business and government working on energy.