Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of this compendium is to provide policymakers and interested stakeholders
with greater clarity regarding the factors that must be strategically managed
in order to enhance the scale scope and pace of wind power difusion.
he factors introduced in this chapter should not be misconstrued as
constituting a best practice list for optimizing wind power policy success.
As was pointed out in the introductory chapter, energy policy is designed
and implemented within a contextually unique environment that involves
a seamless web of dynamically evolving forces. Consequently, the notion
that it might be feasible to construct a universally applicable manual of
best policy practice is a fool's errand.
he premise that is encapsulated in this compendium is that the STEP
factors that are enumerated below have been empirically shown to be of
relevance to wind power development policy in more than one nation.
herefore, in spite of the caveat that contextual diferences will cause these
factors to be more or less pertinent to the development of wind power policy
in diferent nations, a prudent policymaker will be able to make use of the
insights provided in this chapter to guide analysis of what needs to be done
to optimize energy policy within his or her national context. he insights
are not intended to enumerate a list of best practice; rather, the insights
that are presented in this chapter are intended to help guide the analytical
process to optimize wind power development.
10.2 INFLUENTIAL SOCIAL FACTORS
As should be apparent from reading the case studies, social factors are gate-
way forces in that they inluence the scale and pace of wind power develop-
ment in any given nation. When social conditions are right wind farms begin
to spring up around the country,—yet, if social factors are not efectively
managed, they can restrict progress. Analysis of the case studies presented
in this topic suggests that at least nine social factors inluence the fortunes of
wind power development. In this section, each factor will be critically exam-
ined in order to extract policy lessons that are manifest in these insights.
10.2.1 Social Factor 1: Community Perspectives
Research suggests that social support or resistance to community wind
power projects plays a major role in enabling wind power difusion. Of
particular salience for policymakers is the understanding that community
opposition or support stems from a medley of concerns or interests, which
may or may not be based on factual evidence.
