2001–2008: European-Scale Experimentation in Renewable Energy Policy-Making

The chapter analyses two evolutions in European renewable electricity policy between 2001 and 2008. The first was a sophistication of renewable electricity support schemes, in particular feed-in tariffs. The second was the consolidation of expertise about renewable electricity policy. Cointe and Nadai describe how feed-in tariffs were re-arranged in their design and in their relations to European law. In parallel, they trace the expansion of literature on renewable electricity policy. This production of expertise was partly driven by the European Commission and its will to coordinate renewable electricity policy across Europe via regular assessments. The chapter ends on an analysis of the validation of feed-in tariffs as “market-based” by the Commission, arguing that it also reflected a shift in focus from competition to investment.