| Beginning in the mid to late 1990's, states in the United States began to implement policies to promote the development of utility-scale and home-level renewable energy sources. States developed different policy structures and levels of stringency, with some implementing a variety of aggressive policies while other states have to-date initiated no policies to promote renewable energy generation. Among a variety of power sources, wind energy was (and remains) a popular form of renewable energy. This paper examines the effects of certain state policies (renewable portfolio standards, green purchasing requirements, green power options, public benefits funds, and market regulation) on the percentage of a state's electricity that comes from wind. Renewable portfolio standards and green power options are found to have a positive and significant effect on the percentage of a state's electricity that comes from wind, while green purchasing requirements have a negative effect and public benefits funds are insignificant. |
