Determinants of Wind Energy Deployment: Infrastructures, Policies, Resources, or Economics?

<p>This dissertation analyzes the pattern of deployment of wind power across the United States, focusing on the influence of wind resources, incentives/supportive government and governance policies, supportive/confounding infrastructures, and economic factors. The effects of these factors are considered for 35 states from the year 2001 to 2012. Effects are estimated using fixed effects regression models, forward step-wise between modeling, and lead-lag models. The results indicate that demand, electrical transmission availability, and complementary generation assets, as well as the import-export of electricity are important factors in determining where wind energy deployment occurs. In addition, elevated levels of wind energy deployment are associated with policies that provide price support and increase demand for wind energy. This study concludes that while policies play a role in the development of wind energy, policymakers can also increase wind deployment by incentivizing infrastructures including transmission, complementary forms of generation and retirement of competitive generation assets.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Sydnor, Marc

Contributors dc:contributor

• Barry B. Hughes, Ph.D.
• Haider A. Khan
• Frank Laird

• Electrical transmission
• Electricity load balancing
• Electricity price
• Policy
• Renewable energy
• United States
• Economics
• Energy Policy
• Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Statement dc:rights

• <p>Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.</p>

Language dc:language

en

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1065

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.du.edu:etd-2065