While the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is now established as a global voice for renewable energies, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is coming under increased pressure to modernise. Sybille Röhrkasten explains.
Year: 2015
Germany aims to plug hole in energy transition
Germany produces more power from renewable energies than ever, yet pushing dirty lignite out of the power market has proven to be a contentious issue. Steve Baragona summarizes the social, political and economic hurdles currently delaying a coal phase-out.
Wind power ties for #1 electricity source in November
[UPDATE] Record wind power production put German wind farms in the pole position last month, though critics will still complain that two types of coal counted separately should be counted together. By Craig Morris.
Coal, Renewables Battle for Power in Germany
Germany’s Energiewende has been driven first and foremost by citizens and communities. Steve Baragona visited a small community threatened by an open-pit coal mine in Eastern Germany and found that the local struggles reflect the broader battle that is currently underway for the future of the German power system.
Social acceptance is the invisible barrier for wind power in Mexico
In Mexico, wind power could play a central role in the country’s future power mix. Unfortuantely, the technocratic top-down approach chosen by the country in order to deploy the technology has lowered social acceptance. Juan Mayorga suggests to look to Germany for a different, more democratic model of wind power development that takes local stakeholders seriously and allows local financial participation.
The new Coal Atlas
Friends of the Earth International and the Heinrich Böll Foundation (which runs this website) have joined forces to produce an international version of the Coal Atlas originally published in German earlier this year. Craig Morris reports.
Renewable energy: untapped fuel for Mediterranean economies
Despite the fact that in the sunniest region of Europe there is a vast potential of energy from the sun (and wind), renewable energy is a resource that is being ignored. In a time when Southern European countries are struggling with debt and stagnating economies, clean renewable energy solutions can be a smart way to go. Expert studies commissioned by Greenpeace Croatia, Greece, Italy and Spain show how the Southern European governments can boost their economies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate their energy transition by enabling massive small-scale investments into renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions. Dejan Savic summarizes the findings.
Renewable power curtailment skyrockets in Germany
The German Network Agency has published an overview of power curtailment in 2014. While the level has reached a new high, it is still in line with what is normal in other countries. Craig Morris takes a look.
Can Mexico build a more energy-efficient urban transport through Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems?
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have been widely hailed as innovative solutions for growing urban agglomerations around the world. Lillian Sol Cueva argues that their introduction helped to ameliorate pressing issues of congestion and harmful emissions in Mexico. But for the systems to be truly successful, a holistic approach towards public transportation is necessary.
What the US Keystone protests and the German nuclear phase-out have in common
People who want to change the world need to understand why some campaigns are successful while others aren’t. One US commentator has investigated the Keystone campaign’s success in this respect. The overlapping with the German nuclear phase-out is salient. By Craig Morris.