Wind energy and environmental assessments – A hard look at two forerunners' approaches: Germany and the United States
Gesa Geißler,
Johann Köppel and
Pamela Gunther
Renewable Energy, 2013, vol. 51, issue C, 71-78
Abstract:
Wind energy development is booming worldwide with Germany and the United States being forerunners in installed capacity. Based on a review of relevant laws and regulations, policy, siting, and permitting documents, academic literature, and expert interviews, the paper compares the permit and environmental impact assessment (IA) policies and regulations pertaining to wind energy projects in both countries. The focus is on the potential of IAs in supporting an environmentally conscious development of wind power generation. This includes the analysis of IA regulations on the project level, strategic level impact assessment and planning processes, opportunities for public involvement and transparency of processes, and the clarity and predictability of the IA provisions. The findings suggest certain variations between both countries' permit and IA processes for wind energy projects and further research needs, inter alia on the actual effects of strategic assessment of wind development on subsequent permitting.
Keywords: Environmental impact assessment; Strategic environmental assessment; Wind farm permitting; Wind power planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:51:y:2013:i:c:p:71-78
DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2012.08.083
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