Iowa continues to be a largely rural state dominated by agriculture and associated industries, and is the largest producer of corn in the US. Its strengths in the renewable energy sector are abundant land, specialisation in the intensive production of corn for energy, and a good wind resource, combined with...
Maine and Vermont have high energy costs and no fossil fuel resources, which have led to the early development of renewable energy, including hydroelectric energy generation. Maine’s renewable energy policies and associated funding have been largely focused on wind energy generation and developing projects while Vermont has chosen instead to...
Oregon covers a vast territory that is well endowed with natural resources, supporting early specialisation in the energy sector. This case study has a specific focus on Wallowa County, which is a predominantly rural region at the eastern edge of the state. Renewable energy policy in Wallowa County has aimed...
Tennessee’s rivers have helped make it one of the top hydroelectric power producers east of the Rocky Mountains, with many hydroelectric power plants located along the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems. It is also a major nuclear power producer. In Tennessee the best opportunity for expanding employment from renewable energy...
China's consumption of the world's resources is reaching crisis levels. Unchecked, such levels of consumption and waste would strain the nation and the planet. To prevent the worst scenario, the country is taking action. For the past decade, China has led the world in promoting the recirculation of waste materials...
Friesland’s RE policy is one response to the challenges posed by an ageing population, the unsustainability of the agriculture sector, poor economic competitiveness and the need for more high-skilled employment. The Friesland government has developed a three-pronged economic agenda based on energy, water and recreation. The two primary targets are...
Troms County is experimenting with different renewable energy technologies instead of picking a single “winner”. There have been several demonstration projects linked to different renewable energy technologies in the county.
The report finds out three main points: i) In Norway, incentives to renewable energy mostly target R&D and demonstration projects...
Hydropower, biomass, and wind dominate the regional energy profile in Middle Norrland. Regional specialisation in energy is mirrored by the presence of locally-owned utilities, which provide the Middle Norrland economy with cheap energy and ancillary services.
The report has three main findings: i) Local communities can benefit from renewable energy...
The primary force driving renewable energy deployment in Scotland has been the regional economic development strategy, which aims to transition to a low carbon economy. Scotland has considerable autonomy in energy and rural development policy and this has benefited its renewable energy strategy. Key top-down initiatives are designed to create...
A growing number of countries at all levels of development have legislation or regulations prescribing the application of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) - and many more are introducing it as part of their policy tools. This is creating unique opportunities for better policy making and planning by incorporating environmental considerations...