What is Russia's potential as a partner in the global race towards a low-carbon economy? This book provides a balanced analysis of Russia's impressive, understudied and sometimes surprising strengths in the renewable energy sector. The work is a first of its kind, exploring the significant political and economic obstacles to developing renewable energy in Russia. The volume explores whether effective partnerships may be achieved by combining Russia's excellence in basic research and its diverse natural resources with Western management skills - and aiming for innovation and exports. Solar power, electricity reform, market niches for renewable energy and Nordic-Russian partnership are all examined in detail. Providing crucial insights for academics, policy-makers and business actors seeking to cooperate with Russian partners, this groundbreaking book raises the vitally important question of how key countries such as Russia will approach global climate politics and their own energy supply in the post-Kyoto world.

'EU and Russia are neighbours and energy plays a very important role in their relations and trade. This book provides unique insights into Russia's surprisingly strong tradition in renewable energy, as well as the obstacles at policy and regulatory levels.' Peter Lund, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland 'Overland and Kjaernet cut right to the heart of Russia's renewable energy sector, and give the reader an exposé that is unprecedented both in its comprehensiveness and its detail. This work will be the international standard-bearer on Russia's renewable energy sector for many years to come.' Valeriy Kharchenko, All-Russian Institute for the Electrification of Agriculture, Russia 'The reported data and their analysis are well structured. The analysis is most suitable for different groups of readers, starting with the people interested in the problems of energy supply, ranging from the local to the global level, to the researchers and policy makers who are interested in the opportunities and perspectives to widen the Russian-EU cooperation... The language used by the authors is easy to understand, especially for professionals in the area. The ideas and results of the assessments contribute to international cooperation in the future and an improved understanding of sustainable development - one of the main goals of the EU policy.' International Journal of Environment and Pollution

Indra Øverland is Director of Energy Programme at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway; and Heidi Kjærnet is a Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Norway.