ABSTRACT

Implementation achievements cannot be explained with reference to technological, economic, or climatological conditions only. These conditions are no indication of the capacity that will be realized, for that depends on the motivation to invest in the technology, as well as on social acceptance of wind projects. It is this sociopolitical potential that we concentrate on when inquiring about the historical path of wind-power implementation in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in order to understand its successful achievement-compared to other regions and countries in Europe (Breukers 2006).