The slow expansion of renewable energy in Russia: Competitiveness and regulation issues

While the evidence mounts that renewable energy sources (RES) are becoming increasingly cost-effective, they have been slow to penetrate the Russian energy market. This is even more surprising since Russia was an early leader in RES deployment. Moreover, it raises the question whether renewables may be competitive in Russia, and if they may, how should the legal framework for their integration in the energy system evolve. Thus, the goals of this paper are twofold.