Sustainability Assessment of Wind Energy in Latvia: Sustainability SWOT and Multi-Criteria Analysis

Early 2020 Latvian government approved the National Energy and Climate Plan 2021 – 2030 (hereinafter - NECP2030) – a long-term energy and climate planning document setting the basic principles, goals and action lines of Latvia’s national energy and climate policy for the next ten years. Although a specific target of 800 MW for wind energy development has been set, there is limited information provided on the means of achieving the wind energy target. A roadmap on wind energy development would be helpful for the stakeholders, providing a clear plan on the wind energy development, including the assessment of the most suitable form of wind energy for Latvia. The goal of this study is to propose a flexible and adaptable tool to assess, compare and select the most advantageous wind energy development alternatives for policy makers. The research goal is met by applying sustainability SWOT analysis in combination with the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis, using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. The combination of two provides a) an evaluation of comparable criteria for onshore and offshore wind energy b) assessment of the wind energy sustainability within the selected scenarios c) selection of the best possible scenario. The proposed method can help structure and lessen the complexity around the wind energy dilemma while considering economic, environment, social and technological aspects.