On Tuesday, the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) published stats on new turbines in 2016. Both onshore and off, wind growth continues to be healthy. And PV was also added roughly in line to keep feed-in tariffs from rising. Craig Morris takes a look.
Author: Craig Morris
Twinterview with rogue US environmental accounts
On Monday, Feb 6, our Craig Morris held an interview on Twitter (#twinterview) with Alice Stollmeyer, who created the #Twistance list for rogue US accounts from environmental agencies who have been told to stop tweeting for the time being under the current US president. Below are some excerpts from the conversation (also Storified by Alice), which included the rogue Environmental Protection Agency, US National Parks, and PEER.org, a non-profit for environmental whistleblowers. Craig already has one clear conclusion that freedom fighters elsewhere understood long ago: the anonymity of Twitter, which drove him crazy up to now, can be a benefit for a resistance movement.
Germany to complete yet another coal plant
The plant could have been abandoned. It may still be. But Uniper, formerly Eon, now says it will put the nearly completed Datteln 4 into operation after getting a final permit. The market for its electricity doesn’t look good, Craig Morris says.
Clean energy or renewable energy? The label matters!
A prominent German academic who works in the US is now making the rounds in Germany with a proposal: stop talking about renewables and start talking about “clean energy.” Craig Morris explains why the idea is counterproductive.
Marine energy – the renewable energy source of tomorrow (still)
A video made by HuffPost last year praises ocean energy. Today, Craig Morris takes a look at how the technology has progressed – and what is wrong about how that video portrays renewables that work.
The end of the Energiewende is back
Yet again, an expert – this time, a German – says Germany’s energy transition cannot succeed. He has a surprising insight for Energiewende proponents: the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. How could we have missed that? Craig Morris takes a look.
France can’t meet its own power demand
As expected, France was heavily dependent on power imports during the first cold spell of this winter. Yet, most of the country’s reactors are back online. The US is now also investigating 17 reactors with parts from France that could also be defective. Craig Morris has the details.
Renewable energy production stagnates in Germany in 2016
After strong growth in 2015, there were only minor changes in the share of renewables last year. In fact, the most surprising thing is the change in natural gas. Craig Morris takes a look.
To save the planet, we must overcome racism
Lots of people seem to have experienced 2016 as a terrible year, metaphysically if not personally. Today, Craig Morris signs off with his own Word of the Year for 2017.
French solar roads – silly walks
France’s environmental minister Ségolène Royale is rolling out 1,000 kilometers of a technology that will both be bad solar and bad road. Craig Morris critiques.