In 2015 a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) expanded the Localism Act in England which effectively gave neighbourhoods the power to decide on onshore wind power development in their area. By doing so, the planning process for such development ‘went local’. Literature on the effects of ‘going local’ during the planning process for onshore wind power development is conflicting. On the one hand, the involvement of local communities can lead to a higher level of trust and hence a higher success rate of development processes. On the other hand, it appears that people are often reluctant to accept wind power develompent in their own area even though they are in favour of the technology in general.  This thesis explores the effects of ‘going local’, in the form of the WMS of 2015 in England, on onshore wind power development by investigating the local and neighbourhood plans, as well as the planning applications, in the administrative County of Cornwall with the help of qualitative document analysis and a thematic analysis framework provided by Braun & Clarke (2006).  The results show that currently 4 out of the 213 Parish and Town Councils in the ceremonial county of Cornwall truly comply with the WMS, which means that onshore wind power development will only be possible in these areas. The development in these and all the other neighbourhoods is limited to small-scale clusters of turbines. In addition to this, the results show that there are four over-arching aspects that play a role in the decision-making process of neighbourhoods: i) benefits for the neighbourhood, ii) negative impacts on the neighbourhood area, iii) socio-political attitude, and iv) conditions set by the neighbourhoods or local authorities.  The results show that, with the current planning policy framework in England, onshore wind power development will be limited to a significant extent in terms of size and possible locations. The conflicting literature on ‘going local’ reappears in the planning documents and a broad range of factors plays a role for all the neighbourhoods. The given weighting to the different factors is what determines a neighbourhood’s stance on onshore wind power development.

The global emission of greenhouse gases is perceived as one of the most prominent threats to the world today and a socio-technological transformation (STT) of the energy industry is considered essential for long term sustainability. Organisations’ decisions to participate in the diffusion of electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES-E) are deemed essential for achieving the transformation. Governments have therefore introduced support systems promoting RES-E, and since 2003 a radable green certificate (TGC) system has been used to support increased diffusion. However, there are a number of uncertainties regarding investments in onshore wind power which may, or may not demotivate investors to take further part in the diffusion of the technology. Understanding the magnitude and impact of uncertainties is of interest as they can act as barriers for achieving STT. This thesis contributes to the understanding of uncertainties in the Swedish-Norwegian TGC system by exploring two groups of uncertainties; technology uncertainty and volume uncertainty. Evaluation of the technology and volume uncertainty in the Swedish-Norwegian TGC system has been performed by statistically investigating the relationship between technological development of onshore wind power and the certificate price, as well as the accumulated surplus of certificates and the certificate price. The surplus of certificates accumulated on the Swedish-Norwegian TGC market has also been tracked to its source of origin. In addition, the financial results of previous onshore wind power investments have been estimated. The results have been validated by interviews with Swedish wind power investors. The results indicate that both the technology development of onshore wind power in Sweden and the accumulated surplus on the market have impacted the price of certificates, and thus also the profitability of investors in the system. The technology development of onshore wind power has been difficult to forecast, resulting in a considerable technology uncertainty perceived by investors. Regarding volume uncertainty, of the total accumulated surplus of certificates at the end of 2014, 70 % can be derived from forecast errors of quota obliged electricity production by the Swedish Energy Agency. In addition, there is a possible relationship between lower costs of onshore wind power and the accumulated surplus of certificates on the Swedish-Norwegian TGC market. The major implication of these uncertainties is that previous investors choose to delay or refrain from further onshore wind power investments. If actors choose not to participate in further diffusion of the technology, this could potentially harm the STT of the energy industry in Sweden. Introduction of long term contracts, more frequent quota adjustments and a record of RES-E investment decisions could potentially reduce the uncertainties perceived by investors. / De globala utsläppen av växthusgaser anses av många vara samtidens stora utmaning och en socioteknisk omställning av energisektorn framhålls som en nödvändighet för en hållbar framtidsutveckling. Elproducenters deltagande i utbyggnad och utveckling av förnyelsebar elproduktion förespråkas som en viktig del av denna omställning. I led med den politiska agendan har flertalet stödsystem utvecklats vars mål är att stödja utbyggnaden av förnyelsebar elproduktion. I Sverige introducerades 2003 ett stödsystem med gröna elcertifikat vars mål är att främja utbyggnaden av förnyelsebar elproduktion i landet. Stödsystemet till trots är investeringar i landbaserad vindkraft i Sverige fortfarande  associerat med stor osäkerhet i form av teknologins och marknadens framtida utveckling. Dessa osäkerheter kan hämma fortsatt utbredning av förnyelsebar elproduktion vilket kan leda till fördröjning eller stagnation av den nödvändiga omställningen mot en hållbar energisektor. Denna examensuppsats bidrar med kunskap kring de osäkerheter som råder inom det svensk-norska certifikatsystemet genom att undersöka två huvudsakliga osäkerheter; teknikutveckling samt överskott av certifikat på marknaden. Osäkerheten kring teknologins utveckling har undersökts genom att statistiskt utforska ett möjligt samband mellan teknologins kostnadsutveckling och marknadspriset av elcertifikat. Volymosäkerheten på marknaden har undersökts på ett liknande sätt där ett möjligt samband mellan överskottet av elcertifikat och marknadspriset av elcertifikat har utforskats statistiskt. Vilka faktorer som bidrar till överskottet av elcertifikat på markanden och från vilka källor dagens ackumulerade överskott härstammar har identifierats. Vidare har lönsamheten för tidigare investeringar i landbaserad vindkraft i Sverige uppskattats och analyserats. Resultaten antyder att såväl teknikutveckling som överskott av elcertifikat har haft en  etydande påverkan på marknadspriset av elcertifikat. Detta har i sin tur påverkat lönsamheten för investerare i systemet. Teknikutvecklingen har varit svår att förutse vilket resulterat i att investerare upplever stor osäkerhet kring framtida lönsamhet. Vidare visar resultaten att 70 % av det totala överskottet av elcertifikat på marknaden vid slutet av 2014 har sitt ursprung i Energimyndighetens felaktiga prognoser av kvotpliktig elanvändning. Det är även troligt att det finns ett samband mellan teknikutvecklingen och det överskott av elcertifikat på som genererats på marknaden. Innebörden av de två analyserade osäkerheterna är att investerare potentiellt fördröjer eller helt avstår från fortsatta  investeringar. Detta är problematiskt då det kan hämma utbredningen av förnyelsebar  lproduktion och verka som ett hinder för omställningen mot en mer hållbar energisektor i Sverige. Genom att introducera långtidskontrakt för handel med elcertifikat, mer frekventa kvotjusteringar samt etablera ett register över investeringsbeslut kan den osäkerhet som investerare i systemet upplever idag minskas.

Energy production in southern Sweden is insufficient to meet the demand. As a result, Skåne relies on electricity imports from other parts of the country and abroad. Region Skåne sees potential in increasing energy production through renewable resources, including wind power. Many land-based wind turbines in Skåne are outdated and need upgrades in the near future. Wind turbines hold significant potential for future electricity production, necessitating further expansion to meet the growing demand for electricity. Wind power planning transcends municipal boundaries, requiring intermunicipal collaboration for effective wind power expansion. In 2010, three neighboring municipalities - Helsingborg, Höganäs, and Ängelholm - developed a thematic addition to identify suitable land for wind power expansion. This study aims to investigate the importance of municipal collaboration in wind power expansion and the challenges and opportunities municipal planning presents for renewable energy production. The methodology includes interview studies and document analysis to capture the broad aspects of collaboration and wind power development. The theoretical framework applies governance at various types and levels. The results highlight the significance of effective dialogue between municipalities for planning sustainable energy sources. Despite some debate over the thematic addition, the study underscores the need for cross-municipal cooperation to optimize planning. Municipal collaboration can address challenges in planning renewable energy production, but it requires political support and balancing diverse interests. Intermunicipal cooperation is crucial for tackling the challenges of renewable energy sources and for sharing resources and expertise among municipalities.