Articles by
David Jacobs
Policy invention as evolutionary tinkering and codification: the emergence of feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity
By
David Jacobs
The invention of feed-in tariffs to support renewable energy is analysed. The invention of this policy instrument was the product of a long process of evolutionary tinkering that started in the 1970s, beginning with policies originally implemented to support cogeneration power plants, followed by many small and seemingly irrelevant modifications in order to meet the needs of renewable energy producers. Only by unpacking the policy into its design elements can the long, drawn-out process of policy invention be fully understood. Policymakers adjusted the policy design over time, learning by trial and error. This learning was only possible because the initial effects of the policy were underestimated and natural opponents were distracted by other policies and activities. To allow policy inventions to occur, policymakers should provide protective space to make the necessary amendments for policy success.