Germany’s Aggressive Commitment to Clean Energy
Germany’s decision to remove all coal from its grid-mix in the next 20 years is just one more part among its bold plans to move entirely to renewables. It’s a move that is made all the more difficult by its decision to decommission its nuclear plants, but it’s a big step in its abiding commitment toward a clean energy future.
Currently, there are 20,000 people working in coal (and 325,000 working in renewable energy). Part of this plan is making sure everyone of the displaced workers has a job somewhere, hopefully adding further to the clean energy workforce.
Germany deserves our respect and admiration. In a culture known for its aversion to risk, these folks are giving it everything they have.
Craig,
Once again, I must compliment you on your choice of photo’s 🙂
Unfortunately, the German experiment with Energiewende has been a national disaster and largely a fraud. Germany is more dependent than ever on ancient coal fired electricity and bio-mass from Russia.
“Bio-mass” is in reality just another name for clear felling vast swathes of ancient slow growing forests, wood chipping the trees, then exporting to Germany to burn.
The only thing that will save German power production is the huge Russian pipeline shipping natural gas under the Baltic Sea directly to Germany making Germany even more dependent on Putin. NATO,and the EU have remained silent, only the US President is opposed and doing everything possible to sabotage the deal which is one of Putin’s pet projects.
Meanwhile the German economy is feeling the crippling effects of power prices having risen 400%.
In ten years Germany has gone from having the lowest energy prices in Europe to the highest.
Costs previously referred to as grid costs are expected to rise by a total of six to eight percent.
The EEG “green levy” fees add up to amounts of over 50 billion euros yearly. The rising grid fees are due to massive investment in grid expansion to integrate renewable energies into the grid. Due to Germany’s failed Energiewende projected costs will to keep rising.
In Germany, electricity prices of around 30 cents per kilowatt hour for private consumers are the highest in Europe and among the most expensive worldwide.
All this despite energy being heavily subsidized in Germany.
Marcopolo
Your info is not right. Germany is actually exporting energy because there green energy is growing faster then they could slow down their coal plants. Millard’s of euros are planned to invest turning down coal plants, starting with the lignite plants