Explorations of Evidence-based Policymaking (EBPM) for Reconciling Science and Policy: Developing a Conceptual Framework for Improved Understanding of EBPM in Wind Industry Emergence

This study explores how to reconcile science and policy in the wind energy sector by providing a conceptual framework for better understanding evidence-based policymaking (EBPM). Regarding this framework, the core issue is to discover how knowledge is formed over time, and which factors affect this knowledge formation. Comparative cases of wind industry emergence in Spain and Britain are examined. This analysis shows that knowledge formation initially starts in the scientific arena in parallel with its formation in the practical, and is followed by political knowledge formation near the beginning of commercial projects. Regarding knowledge formation, three more comparisons are made between wind industry emergence in Spain and Britain: the different approaches to R&D projects, the different adoptions of supporting measures, and the different ways of coping with public opposition. The factors affecting the comparisons are mainly perceptions of energy supply, nuclear power, environment and science and technology. Communication and unfamiliarity are likely to affect the comparisons in EBPM.