This book provides fascinating examples of the ways renewable and sustainable energy can support economic growth, which will be illuminating for academic researchers and students, as well as those interested in green investment opportunities. The distinctive glacial, volcanic and oceanic environments of Iceland and Greenland supply abundant renewable energy resources in the form of hydropower and geothermal energy. As one of the few nations in the world with 100% renewable electricity production, Iceland is a compelling case study of a sustainable energy driven economy. Consideration of Greenland provides an interesting contrast, as its enormous potential for hydropower scale-up has only been minimally harnessed. The variable and fixed cost factors governing further expansion and export of the regions' sustainable power via sub-sea cable are detailed.

Discusses macro and micro economic perspectives of green energy, on community, national, and international scales Examines the role of foreign direct investment on renewable energy uptake into the grid Provides up-to-date information on the practical impacts of recent technological advances in hydropower and geothermal power production Examines Iceland's unique energy economy in-depth, using data both pre- and post-crash

Autorentext

Helga Kristjánsdóttir is a Researcher and Faculty in Economics at University of Iceland in Reykjavik. She was Visiting Scholar at University of Copenhagen in Denmark at the Center for Applied Microeconomics, after obtaining her PhD in Economics from the University of Iceland, MS in Economics from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium in 2000, and an MBA from Boston College in 1995. Dr. Kristjánsdóttir has worked in industry as a stock broker and management consultant, and her teaching experience includes classes in international economics, statistics and energy economics at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She has published on the intersection of energy and economics in multiple international journals, and her current areas of expertise are in energy economics, foreign direct investment, and international trade.

Inhalt

Introduction.- The hydropower source.- Utilization of renewable and sustainable sources: macro and micro economic perspectives.- Multinational activities and foreign direct investment.- The geothermal source.- Other unconventional energy sources.