ABSTRACT
This chapter presents main economic support schemes and incentives. Different types of support schemes have been used in Europe and the United States in order to promote the penetration of wind power. The European Union (EU) Commission has discussed the possibility of harmonizing the support schemes used by Member States but has postponed such a decision until more experience with the different systems have been obtained. Increasing oil prices and decreasing investment costs for wind power may eliminate the need for any support scheme before a decision about harmonization. From the USA strategies: At federal level a scheme named Production Tax Credits (PTC) has been used to promote the penetration of wind power. This scheme has been handicapped by a "stop-and go" character due to short periods between political decisions about the future of the scheme.
