WIND ENERGY STRATEGIES FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES IN A EUROPEAN UNION CONTEXT

摘要

The increased use of renewable sources to meet growing energy requirements is widely recognised as essential in the move towards sustainable energy development. Most developed countries in the world have already set minimum targets renewable sources within the total energy mix. These targets are in many cases quite ambitious and require certain policies and support mechanisms to ensure delivery. The European Commission has set a target of doubling the share of renewable energy in energy consumption from around 6 percent in 1997 to 12 percent in the year of 2010. Several developing countries in the world have also given clear indications of their intention to strengthen the contribution of renewable sources of energy. In the current context of concerns regarding climate change, polices and measures for greenhouse gas abatement are being developed and refined in many Central and Eastern European countries and renewable sources of energy can play a significant role in these. Among the different renewable sources of energy options, wind energy is the most promising one in the short term due to the cost competitiveness, size of the resource and recent technological developments. This paper examines the wind energy strategies in EU Member States and analyses best practice in Member States, based on their relevance to the Central and Eastern European countries.