Renewable Energy law and Development

Book excerpt: Half the worlds new electric generating capacity added each year from 2008 onwards has been renewable, mainly now in developing countries. So is the quarter-trillion dollars a year of private investment in modern renewable energy. Organizations like REN21 and Bloomberg New Energy Finance track exciting and accelerating recent progress. But to understand how these renewable energy efforts in major developing countries have been structured and are evolving requires a guidebook with a legal and institutional perspective. Energy veteran Richard Ottinger and his Pace Law School graduate students from many key countries have now provided that guideclearly written, well-organized, and a great public service. Amory B. Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, US Richard Ottinger, a pioneer in the development of national policy to promote renewable energy in the US, and his Pace Law School research assistants have created a unique piece of work on the legal and policy issues behind the global growth of renewable energy. Their book is indispensable as a text for law professors and students and as the definitive reference for lawyers and policymakers about developing and emerging country policies driving renewable energy use around the world. The fact that most of the research assistants are natives of the countries on which they researched and wrote their respective chapters gives the book uniquely credible insights into the legal and policy challenges faced by these countries, providing valuable lessons for others wanting to build renewable energy capacity in their own countries. Robert Noun, Former Executive Director of Public Affairs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Adjunct Professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, US This book is unique in the literature on renewable energy law and policy. Firstly, it focuses on developing countries which means it fills the gap in international literature currently lacking on law and policy on renewable energy in developing countries. Secondly, it applies a basic uniform analysis method to each of the case studies. This makes the results of the case studies considerably comparable. Finally, based on the introduction to the related laws, policies and projects of the target countries, the author summarizes their experience and lessons. It is these summaries that reflect the purpose and value of this book. Wang Xi, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China This is a unique book written by one of the leading scholars in the field. It uses detailed case studies to analyze the successes, failures and challenges of renewable energy initiatives in developing and emerging countries. Incorporating the insights and perspectives of researchers who come from the respective countries covered, the study compares some of the most exciting success stories, including: Chinas meteoric rise from near zero use of renewable energy to being the world leader in solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and wind energy; Brazils success in becoming the worlds top ethanol producer and exporter; and Indias pioneering use of a hedge plant to produce biodiesel and its use of animal and human wastes for rural electrification. The book also describes Indonesias disastrous palm oil program which cut down its forests and excavated its peat bogs. It concludes that good leadership is the largest factor in success, but that it is also critical to include public participation, training, transparency, environmental consideration, fair labor practices, protection against exploitation and enforcement. This book is designed to be helpful to other countries seeking to initiate renewable energy programs. It will appeal to local administrators and policymakers, field personnel from UN agencies and NGOs, and renewable energy funders, as well as to academic researchers.