The regional heterogeneity of wind power deployment: an empirical investigation of land-use policies in Germany and Sweden

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the impacts of land-use policies on wind power deployment at the regional levels in Germany and Sweden. We use data for the period 2008-2012, and an econometric approach in which the probability of having any wind power capacity additions and the actual level of increased capacity, given that it is positive, are permitted to be determined by different processes. The results confirm the importance of land-use policies, e.g., priority and exclusion areas, and interesting differences across the two countries are found. The impact of priority areas has been more profound in Germany, while the assignment of protected areas instead has constituted a more binding policy tool in Sweden. Crosscountry differences in the relevance of various explanatory variables are linked to factors such as geographical patterns, design of wind power support schemes, and the allocation of decision-making power in planning processes.

On the spatial differentiation of energy transitions: Exploring determinants of uneven wind energy developments in the Czech Republic

“…This finding is in contradiction to most existing studies (e.g. Goetzke and Rave, 2016;Lauf et al, 2018), which confirmed land area and population density (together with wind potential) best predict the installed capacity. Significant correlations have not been found between installed capacity and the intensity of landscape protection and the use of land in the area (the share of nature and landscape protected areas, forests and agricultural land in Tab.…”

“…A comparative study by Lauf et al (2018) found that regional variations in wind power deployment in Sweden and Germany, to a significant extent, can be attributed to land-use policies, not least in the form of priority areas and the designation of restricted areas. This study also confirmed a positive correlation of wind capacity with the land area and a negative correlation with population density.…”

“…A significant correlation between unemployment and wind capacity growth was shown only in Germany. Lauf et al (2018) question this relationship, however, by claiming that districts with high unemployment rates are not more likely to host wind investments, but in the presence of such investments they tend to experience higher capacity additions. The hypothesis about the relationship between votes for left-wing parties (particularly the Green Party) and their participation in regional governments has been supported only by Goetzke and Rave (2016); however, they point to considerable regional variations in the effect of these variables.…”

Mapping the Wind Energy Potential of Sweden: A Sociotechnical Wind Atlas

“…The result presented in Figure 7 shows that especially the southern part of Sweden has large areas covered by infrastructure, making it harder to find land for onshore wind projects. This regional heterogeneity in Sweden has previously been discussed by [23] and is further verified by this study. The study furthermore addresses the risks associated with wind project development and maps several of the risks presented by [26].…”

“…Even though this is not considered a restriction, we also considered applying restriction areas for existing operating wind turbines, as repowering of the existing wind farms will be a future option. The same goes for areas of national interest, as [23] indicated that national interests do not result in actual restrictions due to the lack of strong political definitions and tools for defining these areas.…”