Innovative policies, including higher contributions from industry, home energy efficiency improvements, and consumer awareness of price differences between suppliers, are called for to help Germans lower energy prices during the switch to renewables, argues Paul Hockenos. Writing about energy is a complicated business, especially for journalists who don’t specialize in the field – which is why one sees so many mistakes in energy-related stories. The Economist had been responsible for some of the worst stories in 2012 and 2013 – chock full of inaccuracies. This recent contribution on the Energiewende has fewer, which is good of course – but nothing to brag about. For one, it is a fundamental misconception to describe the energiewende as a “marketing slogan” and “mainly a set of timetables for different goals.” Anyone or any country can announce goals and timetables. That’s the easy bit. The energiewende is much more than that. It entails the wide-ranging transition of Germany as such, from a society and economy based on fossil fuels and nuclear power, to a country run on renewable energy … Continue reading Transition Beyond Goals