What is Boomerang Effects

As a member of the European Union (EU), Bulgaria has been implementing the EU's policy targets designed to increase the share of renewable energy (RE) use in gross final energy consumption by 2020. The target for Bulgaria, set at 16%, was accomplished eight years earlier than mandated, in 2012. The result of rapid but poorly regulated growth in renewables—seemingly a success story—illustrates the potential pitfalls of RE policy implementation. Having met its target, Bulgaria undertook a series of restrictive policy measures that undermined short-term RE growth, increased regulatory uncertainty and market stagnation. The objective of this chapter is to understand the factors that shaped these unintended policy measures and outcomes. Drawing on key informant interviews, the chapter presents a case study of renewable energy policy implementation in a multi-level governance system and illustrates the boomerang effects associated with top-down policy implementation.