It Should Be A Breeze

The paper argues that the wind power industry is integrated primarily through foreign direct investment rather than trade, and that promoting global integration can reduce technology costs and foster innovation without sacrificing local job creation.

• Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the primary driver of global integration in the wind sector, as standard international trade in equipment is relatively small and decreasing. The industry's cost structure encourages the development of regional production hubs in markets with sufficient size.
• Trade tariffs are not the primary obstacle to global integration; instead, the main barriers are nontariff trade barriers and other formal or informal factors that influence investment decisions.
• Intellectual property rights (IPRs) do not significantly hinder market access for firms in developed or developing countries because technology is widely available for licensing and IPRs have a limited impact on cost structures.
• Wind energy is more labor-intensive than fossil fuel generation, meaning a globalized industry can still provide lasting, highly localized employment opportunities.
• Local demand for wind energy, driven by long-term government support and carbon pricing, creates the necessary foundation for local supply of equipment, services, and job creation.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). It Should Be A Breeze. https://www.wri.org/research/it-should-be-breeze

Chicago

World Resources Institute. It Should Be A Breeze. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/it-should-be-breeze.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=It Should Be A Breeze |url=https://www.wri.org/research/it-should-be-breeze |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendshould, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{It Should Be A Breeze}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/it-should-be-breeze}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }