Political And Economic Challenges Threaten Wind Industry, Warns New Report

A Word About Wind, the wind industry intelligence service, have published its Finance 2017 report, which examines the political and economic challenges to face the wind sector over the coming year.

Drawing on in-house research and in-depth interviews with key industry figures, the report analyses the potential effects of a number of threats to the sector across Europe and the US, including Brexit, and President Trump.

While the exact nature of some threats – such as Brexit – is as yet unknown, the report outlines how the sector can best cope in the face of such uncertainty. Charting the rise of right-wing politics across Europe and the US, for instance, Finance 2017 examines what this phenomenon will mean for both national energy policies and the future of the European Union – a significant driver of the wind industry’s development across the continent.

In turn, the economic ramifications of this political uncertainty may be keenly felt by those working in wind. In particular, while wind has historically benefitted from low interest rates, the report details why these may be about to come to an end – and what this will mean for those with an interest in the sector.

On the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, A Word About Wind’s Editor, Richard Heap, comments: “There is nothing like the election of a climate change denier and serial wind farm objector as ‘leader of the free world’ to raise the blood pressure of this industry. But US wind is resilient, and there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the sector as President Trump takes control.”

The report includes insights from industry figures who are similarly optimistic. As Sandy Reisky, founder and chairman of US developer Apex Clean Energy, outlines in the report “With the favourable cost of energy and compelling value proposition of renewables, we are confident that our industry will continue to grow.”

He further discusses the financial changes facing the sector, and how he became a serial renewables entrepreneur, having previously founded, built and sold developer Greenlight Energy.

Additional interviews with Markus Lesser, CEO of PNE Wind, and contributions from thought leaders including Sacha Kamp, Head of Renewables for the EMEA region at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, provide further insight into what 2017 may have in store for those working in wind worldwide.

“Finance 2017 presents a detailed analysis of the strategic threats facing the wind industry as a whole,” said Richard Heap. “In addition to our own research, we have scoured the wind world for other views, and the report should therefore prove an invaluable source of intelligence and insight to our members over the next twelve months – which certainly promise to be anything but boring.”

For further information, and to obtain a copy of Finance 2017, please visit: http://www.awordaboutwind.com/reports/wind-investment-report-finance-2017/