land Article Landscape Assessment and Economic Accounting in Wind Farm Programming: Two Cases in Sicily Salvatore Giuffrida, Filippo Gagliano, Francesco Nocera * and Maria Rosa Trovato Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania (ITALY), 95125 Catania, Italy;
[email protected] (S.G.);
[email protected] (F.G.);
[email protected] (M.R.T.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +39-095-738-2366 Received: 18 August 2018; Accepted: 11 October 2018; Published: 15 October 2018 Abstract: In recent years, the scientific interest for the economic and landscape impact of wind farms has increased. This paper presents a useful GIS tool that allows for helping policymakers and investors to identify promising areas for wind power generation as well as landscape impact and financial and economic sustainability of wind farms. The results of the research carried out for exploring the potential for wind energy in two territorial contexts of Sicily region are presented with the particular look at the possibilities of economic developing, stakeholders’ opportunities and obstacles in the policy, legal, and regulatory framework. Keywords: wind energy; landscape impact; GIS tools; economic-financial valuation; DRSA decision making pattern 1. Introduction The Climate and Energy package passed by the European Union (EU) to meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol with the intention of preventing climate instability, known as the 20 20 20 Plan (Directive 2009/29/EC) [1], provides for joint action on CO2 emission levels (−20%), energy production from renewable sources (+20%) and primary energy saving (−20%) by the end of 2020, with a commitment to reduce emissions by 50% to the end of 2050.