This book examines the current state of economic regulation of renewable electricity and explores the possibilities for future harmonized EU regulation.

This book is a guide for understanding the EU renewable energy policy as one of the most ambitious attempts world-wide to facilitate a transition towards more sustainable energy systems. It contains key case studies for understanding how member states have shaped the EU renewable energy policy, how the EU has affected the policies of its member states and how renewable energy policies have diffused horizontally. An analysis of the external dimension of the EU renewable energy policy is also included.

From evaluating policy delivery on wind farms in Texas in the US, to developing nuclear power in the Middle East, this book presents fresh thinking on key concepts and ideas on energy law and policy delivery. The contributors write from a range of perspectives, including the sciences, law, politics, economics and engineering.

There are two basic policy tools for promoting renewable electricity: price regulation (feed-in tariffs) and quantity regulation (green certificates). In economic theory, they are equally efficient. Contrary to conventional thinking, the author demonstrates that under real-world conditions, price regulation is more efficient. EU law obliges Member States to put support schemes in place, but leaves their design to national authorities. They need, however, to comply with EU state aid and internal market rules, and their financing may not result in import duties and discriminatory taxation. This book provides a detailed analysis of the decisions practice adopted by the Commission and the case law of the Union Courts. As support schemes mature, has time not come for putting an end to regulatory competition? With huge efficiency gains to be expected, the author expertly examines the political obstacles and sets out three different pathways to achieve EU-wide harmonization.

Provides the first scholarly and comprehensive book on the national renewable energy laws of every country that has them (113 countries).

This book aims to describe the mechanisms of the internal wholesale electricity market in terms of the legal tools and practices used by electricity producers, the most important market participants. In this regard, the focus is on Northwestern Europe. Because of the book’s functional perspective, it is not limited to the external regulation of electricity markets at the EU level and also describes the business models and practices employed by electricity producers. Both the physical and financial marketplaces are examined and topics including electricity supply, balancing, transmission and derivatives are covered. The target for the completion of the EU’s internal electricity market was 2014. The internal wholesale electricity market is very important not only for electricity producers, suppliers and major end consumers but also for network operators, marketplace operators, electricity technology firms, investment firms and market regulators.

The book examines the legal guarantees provided under the European Union (EU) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules for the development of electricity transmission systems, either by constructing new transmission lines or by increasing transmission capacity. In the context of an analysis of trade rules, the book makes the argument that, if long-distance trade in electricity remains a feasible option, the development of electricity transmission projects must be made subject to economic, technological, and environmental criteria. This topic is dealt with in light of specific challenges of electricity trade related to its dependence on networks, storage and balancing. The book offers insights into the scope of the WTO and the EU related to access to and the development of cross-border electricity infrastructure development, connection, and integration of abundant renewable energies into the electricity systems. It criticizes the EU's regulations in terms of a lack of technological neutrality, as well as the WTO system in terms of lack of sector-tailored regulations that are necessary to achieve the objectives of the WTO to facilitate trade and transit. The regulatory environment for the development of cross-border electricity transmission projects has been examined based on identified obstacles from the analysis of the major multinational electricity systems in the world. [Subject: International Trade Law, Energy Law, EU Law, WTO]