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Jared James Dye - Thesis 2017.pdf (969.31 KB)

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From Leader to Laggard: The Development of Wind Power in Russia

Dye, Jared James
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492725236380155

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Slavic and East European Studies.
The installed capacity of renewable energy is increasing in the developed and developing worlds alike. Yet, the share of renewable energy (excluding large hydroelectric power stations) remains below one percent of the energy mix in Russia. Over the past century, (Soviet) Russia has been among the global leaders in developing and implementing hydroelectric, nuclear, and fossil fuel technology. Why has Russia been on the cutting edge of so many energy sources, both traditional and alternative, yet lags so far behind its peers in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and geothermal energy? Through a case study analysis of wind energy, this thesis argues that renewable energy in Russia has not taken off relative to the country’s peers due to a lack of strategic necessity and subsequent political will from the Russian elite. The economic, political, and cultural factors that drove the development of hydropower, nuclear energy, oil, and natural gas are absent for renewable energy. That being said, while large-scale, commercial wind projects have been generally absent, small-scale turbine installations in communities isolated from the unified power grid have begun to emerge with success. This thesis is divided into two major sections. The first section analyzes how Russia got to the energy mix it has today by examining the literature on the origins and development of coal, hydropower, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy for electricity production since the turn of the twentieth century. Following the history of these energy sources, this research examines the opinions from political and business elites in Russia on the topic of renewable energy and analyzes the renewable energy support scheme introduced in 2013. The second section examines the development of renewable energy in Russia using wind energy as a case study. Specifically, the analysis focuses on planned and implemented wind power installations in three Russian federal districts: the Russian Far East, Northwest, and South. This thesis offers a unique contribution to the literature by synthesizing information on multiple wind projects across the country and identifying common strategic, political, and economic themes among them.
Nicholas Breyfogle (Advisor)
David Hoffmann (Committee Member)
67 p.
Slavic Studies
Russia; renewable energy; wind power

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dye, J. J. (2017). From Leader to Laggard: The Development of Wind Power in Russia [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492725236380155

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dye, Jared. From Leader to Laggard: The Development of Wind Power in Russia. 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492725236380155.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dye, Jared. "From Leader to Laggard: The Development of Wind Power in Russia." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492725236380155

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1492725236380155
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.