Wind Power in Europe

This book explains the development paths taken by the wind power sector in Denmark, Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom. It explores how wind power has been promoted, and critically reviews public policies to support it. It analyses the economic and environmental implications of its integration into the electricity supply industry, whilst considering issues of planning and social acceptance, and exploring why wind power has been contested.

JOSEPH SZARKA is Reader in European Studies at the University of Bath, UK. He is the author of Business in France and The Shaping of Environmental Policy in France, and has published widely on politics and policy-making, particularly on economic, environmental and energy policy.

Contextualizing the wind power debate * Diagnosing the wind sector * Mobilizing for wind power * Promoting wind power through national policies * Drawing policy lessons by cross-national comparison * Integrating wind power into the electricity supply industry * Siting, planning and social acceptance * Contesting wind power * Reviewing the outcomes