• The liberalisation of the European electricity market has important consequences for the promotion of renewable energies.Without any public intervention, the competition between electricity suppliers is expected to encourage the cheapest electricity sources to the detriment of renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydro, biomass, etc).Which public policies are being implemented in the European countries to promote the renewable electricity? Which policy instruments are compatible with the market rules? What are, in particular, the political conditions for the tradable green certificates?

• This book seeks to answer these questions by comparing the renewable electricity policies adopted before and after the liberalisation of the electricity market in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It is aimed at public actors involved in energy policy making, private operators of the energy sector, policy analysts and citizens interested in sustainable energy issues.