Renewable Energy Production and Distribution - Chapter 13, Sustainable renewable energy policies and regulations, recent advances, and challenges

Renewable energy sources have been in the core of the sustainable development. Their advantages like low carbon emissions, local availability, geographical dispersion, and creation of jobs satisfy most of the sustainability requirements. Therefore, at the most cases, the energy planning includes the increase of their contribution. United Nations, European Union as well as United States of America, China, and many other countries have introduced goals for deployment of the renewable energy sources. Tools like policies and legislation support this, usually promoting not only the replacement of traditional fossil fuel electricity production with renewable energy projects either locally or in wider areas, but systemic changes in energy planning. Some of these tools seem to be effective, other are not. This usually depends on many factors. This chapter reviews the recent advances in sustainable renewable energy policies and regulations and investigates the relevant challenges.