Renewable energy sources (RES) can undoubtedly contribute to protecting the environment and conserving fossil
fuels, as
well as
enhancing regional and rural development opportunities. However, every energy production process affects the environment and involves the use of land resources. The risks linked to
intensified
RES use should be adequately taken into consideration in any planning process, as ill-conceived energy policies may adversely impact land and local ecosystems, and lead to increases in public
spending.
Therefore, before
designing any instruments for the regulation of both RES and land-use, the most essential step is to explore investment possibilities in different contexts. This paper intends to locate
and quantify the
potentials of biomass, wind and solar as well as to explore some of the potential planning issues associated with their development. The methods and findings presented in this paper may
help to
build
a vision for the development of an optimal RES portfolio and to highlight emerging problems associated with RES deployment.