Date of Award

1-1-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

Josef Korbel School of International Studies

First Advisor

Barry B. Hughes, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Haider A. Khan

Third Advisor

Frank Laird

Keywords

Electrical transmission, Electricity load balancing, Electricity price, Policy, Renewable energy, United States

Abstract

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.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Marc Sydnor

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

300 p.

Discipline

Alternative Energy, Public Policy, Economics

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