This week, renewable energy experts, community leaders and local governments from all over the world meet in Kassel to discuss experiences and strategies to reach so-called 100% renewable energy regions. Anna Leidreiter reports.
Author: Anna Leidreiter
100% renewable energy as centerpiece of a climate action plan
At the end of September, the heads of states met in New York for a climate summit to pledge action on climate change. While renewables were not at the center of attention, Anna Leidreiter argues that future commitments need to contain a pledge to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. A growing number of cities, regions and even countries around the world have already proven that such a path is realistic.
The Feed-in Tariff is better than is commonly understood
The Feed-in Tariff (FiT) has proven to be the most successful policy for climate protection and sustainable development. As the cornerstone of overwhelming renewable energy development worldwide, it has resulted in significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, green jobs, revenues for governments and citizens and cost-competitive alternatives to harmful fossil fuels. Despite all that, the FiT is currently under attack. This is especially so in frontrunner country Germany, where the government has approved the phase out of the FiT through recent reform. But as Anna Leidreiter explains, the Feed-in Tariff is a better policy than is commonly understood.
German Renewable Energy Act Reform is not a “Feed-in Tariff 2.0”
The German government has presented a first draft to reform the Renewable Energy Act, cornerstone of Germany’s energy transition. Anna Leidreiter explains the shortcomings.
Hamburg citizens vote to buy back energy grid
On September 22nd, citizens in Hamburg, Germany’s second biggest city, not only re-elected Angela Merkel as chancellor but also gave their electoral mandate to the city authority to buy back the energy grid in their Hanseatic city. Why? Because they concluded that the private sector cannot be trusted with public services – and that community ownership and participatory governance is the way to go, notes Anna Leidreiter.