This book is a sociological account of the historical trajectory of feed-in tariffs (FITs) as
an instrument for the promotion of renewable energy in Europe. Chapters analyse the emergence
and transformations of feed-in tariffs as part of the policy arsenal developed to encourage the
creation of markets for RES-E in Europe. The authors explore evolving conceptions of renewable
energy policy at the intersection between environmental objectives technological change and
the ambition to liberalise the internal electricity market. They draw conclusions on the
relationships between markets and policy-making as it is instituted in the European Union and
on the interplay between the implementation of a European vision on energy and national
politics. Distinctive in both its approach and its methods the books aim is not to discuss the
design of feed-in tariffs and their evolution nor is it to assess their efficiency or
fairness. Instead the authors seek to understand what makes feed-intariffs what they are and
how this has changed over time.
