Effects of Renewable Energy Policies on Wind Industry Development in the US

Abstract To spur on renewable energy development, some US states have adopted Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and related policies. Previous studies have examined the factors that lead to such policy adoption, but offer limited empirical evidence on the effects on renewable energy development. We intend to close this gap through empirical analysis. Results suggest that RPS adoption and the stringency of its inherent characteristics were dominant in spurring wind energy development, and that state wind energy potential, economic and market characteristics, energy portfolio, and political structure had significant impacts. Thus, policy and politics matter more than nature in driving wind energy deployment.