Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10.5.7 Political Factor 7: Inclusiveness of the Energy Policy Process
he case studies suggest that centralized policy regimes that are dominated
by a few actors tend to be prone to policy capture, whereby powerful special
interest groups have an increased ability to inluence policy decisions and
powerful policymakers have a heightened ability to direct policy without
contest. Japan's energy regime exempliies an extreme manifestation of
policy capture by special interest groups. A pro-nuclear power coalition has
managed to gain dominant inluence over Japanese energy policy. China
exempliies an extreme manifestation of policy capture by a handful of
inluential energy policymakers. In China's case the judgment of a few inlu-
ential policymakers has signiicantly inluenced the fortunes of wind power.
he Chinese case study suggests that policy capture can be either ben-
eicial or disadvantageous for wind power development; however, in most
nations the economic power of the conventional energy sector tends to
foster policy regimes that are favorably disposed toward supporting con-
ventional energy interests. Even in cases where insular policy regimes are
pro-wind, there is always the danger of political change resulting in a rever-
sal of fortunes. For example, a government decision to drop support for
wind power and redirect all investment to nuclear power development is
not inconceivable. Under such a scenario, the wind power boom in China
could disintegrate virtually overnight.
hese insights suggest that more inclusive policy regimes that incorpo-
rate participation from a diversity of stakeholders engender conditions that
are conducive to progressive wind power development. his is because even
if powerful stakeholder factions support conventional energy, the employ-
ment and environmental beneits attributed to wind power tend to provide
justiication for at least some support for wind energy. As the US case study
demonstrated, extreme policy shifts, such as the feast and famine condi-
tions caused by the erratic renewal process of the production tax credits,
causes far more damage to wind power development than modest yet con-
sistently progressive development strategies do.
10.5.8 Political Factor 8: Central and Subnational
Government Coordination
Evidence from the case studies suggests that the level of coordination
between diferent levels of government inluences the sustainability of
wind power development programs. For example, in China, poor coordina-
tion between the central government planners, provincial authorities and
