Could the Balkans export renewable energy to mainland Europe in the near future? Paul Hockenos investigates if western European investment and the resources of South Eastern Europe would create a win-win situation for everyone involved. If assessment studies are even roughly accurate, the countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia – have enormous potential to exploit renewable energy resources. The region abounds in year-around sun, untapped hydro, gusty coasts, and rich agricultural land. Moreover, the first undersea transmission cables from the Adriatic coast to Italy will be operational by 2015, long before the transmission network envisioned for the Desertec project links Northern Africa to continental Europe. Could the Balkans export renewable energy to mainland Europe in the near future? Would western European investment and the resources of South Eastern Europe create a win-win situation for everyone involved? There are more than a few experts involved in the region who think so. The vision is that European countries struggling to meet their own renewable energy targets – or … Continue reading Are the Western Balkans the new Desertec?