13 BEYOND WIND: NEW CHALLENGES TO THE EXPANSION …
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increasing equality and wealth are more likely to foster trust and consequent abilities to develop cohesive communal energy policies than those
that try to enforce homogeneity.
In sum, the social, political, and cultural elements that have made
Denmark a “renewable success story” include:
• Trust
• Cooperation
• Ownership structures, e.g., cooperatives
• Decision-making processes, i.e., political decisions
The extent to which these are transferable conditions remains uncertain. As long-run processes that have evolved over decades and sometimes
centuries, the ability to foster similar cooperative and integrated decisionmaking under more rapid pressures is likely to depend on the potential
for aligning the incentives of individuals among themselves and with those
of the local and national governments. On the other hand, policies that
promote equality, wealth generation, and government transparency (e.g.,
adoption of sustainable accounting methods that include energy, see, e.g.,
Dincer and Rosen 2012), will increase opportunities for successful transfer
of Danish energy policy successes. These will be further enhanced by
investments not only in directly supporting infrastructure such as renewable energy capacities, but also in human capital and indirect support
through conditions that foster innovation and growth prior to any
widespread lock-in without testing under a variety of social conditions.
Conclusions and Policy Implications
Denmark is a worthy case study. It managed to transition from an oildependent energy economy to a renewable powerhouse within just 4
decades. A confluence of technical, natural, social, and historical factors
underlies this Danish success. On the technical and natural side, Denmark
developed an internal infrastructure that increased its energy efficiency
and reduced dependence on oil while still using its fossil fuel endowment.
Denmark used its natural resources in an “outward,” i.e., export-oriented
fashion, rather than relying on fossil resources to substitute imports.
The impacts of the 1973 oil crisis generated political action to find
alternative energy sources. Well-organized grassroots movements shifted
343
increasing equality and wealth are more likely to foster trust and consequent abilities to develop cohesive communal energy policies than those
that try to enforce homogeneity.
In sum, the social, political, and cultural elements that have made
Denmark a “renewable success story” include:
• Trust
• Cooperation
• Ownership structures, e.g., cooperatives
• Decision-making processes, i.e., political decisions
The extent to which these are transferable conditions remains uncertain. As long-run processes that have evolved over decades and sometimes
centuries, the ability to foster similar cooperative and integrated decisionmaking under more rapid pressures is likely to depend on the potential
for aligning the incentives of individuals among themselves and with those
of the local and national governments. On the other hand, policies that
promote equality, wealth generation, and government transparency (e.g.,
adoption of sustainable accounting methods that include energy, see, e.g.,
Dincer and Rosen 2012), will increase opportunities for successful transfer
of Danish energy policy successes. These will be further enhanced by
investments not only in directly supporting infrastructure such as renewable energy capacities, but also in human capital and indirect support
through conditions that foster innovation and growth prior to any
widespread lock-in without testing under a variety of social conditions.
Conclusions and Policy Implications
Denmark is a worthy case study. It managed to transition from an oildependent energy economy to a renewable powerhouse within just 4
decades. A confluence of technical, natural, social, and historical factors
underlies this Danish success. On the technical and natural side, Denmark
developed an internal infrastructure that increased its energy efficiency
and reduced dependence on oil while still using its fossil fuel endowment.
Denmark used its natural resources in an “outward,” i.e., export-oriented
fashion, rather than relying on fossil resources to substitute imports.
The impacts of the 1973 oil crisis generated political action to find
alternative energy sources. Well-organized grassroots movements shifted