Understanding renewable energy policy adoption and evolution in Europe: The impact of coercion, normative emulation, competition, and learning

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Maman Ali M. Moustapha ◽

Qian Yu ◽

Benjamin Adjei Danqauh

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Policy ◽

Energy Intensity ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Renewable Energy Policy ◽

Member States ◽

Content Type ◽

Access Path ◽

Electricity Access ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess how the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) renewable energy policy (EREP) affects energy intensity using the difference-in-difference (DID) and the propensity score matching methods (PSM). Based on the current debates on renewable energy policies (REP) and due to the fact that energy efficiency has been a challenge for ECOWAS member states. The authors set up a framework to assess the EREP effect on energy intensity. Design/methodology/approach Using the DID and PSM approaches the paper assesses the effect of EREP on energy intensity. The following three different paths are considered: Path 1 tests the EREP effect on electricity access. Path 2 tests the use of renewable energy sources as a factor to enhance the energy intensity. Path 3 tests whether or not use of renewable energy deployment has the potential to raise the total percentage of primary energy supply. The principle is to investigate if and to what extend the EREP increases the energy intensity. Findings The results indicate that EREP has a significantly positive effect on increasing the percentage of energy intensity in ECOWAS member states that has implemented the policy, resulting for a large percentage of the population to electricity access in treated groups. Empirical estimation results largely corroborate the three paths’ hypotheses. The result indicated that the EREP has increased the percentage of electricity access throughout the region. Originality/value The paper explores a more appropriate framework to examine the effect of EREP and enriches the literature on the impact of REP by combining a policy evaluation approach (PSM-DID) method. This paper is the first to the knowledge to estimate the EREP effect by using a non-parametric approach. The majority of previous studies have focused on using case studies, exploratory analysis approaches and econometric methods.

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Changes in Renewable Energy Policy and Their Implications: The Case of Romanian Producers

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13246493 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (24) ◽

pp. 6493

Author(s):

Nicolae Marinescu

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Policy ◽

Renewable Energy Policy ◽

The European Union ◽

Public Authorities ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Subsidy Scheme ◽

Energy Companies ◽

The Impact ◽

Remarkable Progress

This paper analyzes the impact of policy changes on the Romanian renewable energy producers. Attracted by a generous subsidy scheme, foreign and domestic investors flocked to the market. Consequently, the sector witnessed remarkable progress, especially in the wind power category. Romania fast approached the national target set by the European Union concerning the share of the country’s energy consumption from renewable sources. However, frequent changes in the support scheme and in the regulations issued by public authorities led to chaos. The aim of the paper was to emphasize the evolution of renewable energy policy in Romania, to investigate the incentives and their effects, and to critically assess the impact of the changes on renewable energy producers. It highlights, by means of an exploratory study and several interviews with executives of renewable energy companies, the challenges and shortcomings of policymaking. The main finding was that the revision of the subsidy scheme and the changes in energy policy that followed are the major determinants for the declining financial performance of renewable energy producers. Subsequently, some recommendations for improved policymaking are suggested, so as to re-establish the trust of investors and to promote the sustainable development of the sector.

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