Evaluating the global and Italian impact of wind energy through multiplier, spillover and feedback effects

Abstract

Although the environmental benefits of wind energy systems are widely recognized, their deployment can generate indirect effects (spillover) that extend beyond national borders, particularly toward countries with which there are strong economic interdependencies. These effects, encompassing both environmental and socioeconomic consequences in the affected territories, have been relatively underexplored in the literature. This study addresses this gap by developing a two-region interregional model, to analyze the local and interregional impacts of a wind energy investment planned in Italy by 2030. The approach integrates environmental, economic and social indicators for a comprehensive assessment of sustainability. The results show that investment generate significant economic and social benefits both locally and in interconnected regions, with effects representing from 19 % to 80 % of the total depending on the scale considered. Analysis of the thirteen environmental impact categories further reveals that a significant share of the impacts is transferred to other regions, with values ranging from approximately 53 % for the climate change up to almost 90 % for the ecotoxicity of freshwater. Overall, for most environmental categories, indirect impacts are more significant than direct national ones, highlighting that the energy transition is a deeply interconnected global and transnational phenomenon.