China set a world record, again, in 2015 by adding more installed capacity of both wind and solar in a single year than any other country (32.5 GW of wind and 18.3 GW of solar). By the fourth quarter of 2015, China overtook Germany with the largest installed capacity of solar power in the world (with a total of 43 GW). Though China’s increasingly ambitious policies have ushered in rapid gains in renewable energy, Rebecca Coombs examines the country’s continued over-reliance on coal, which suggests a long road ahead towards a true clean energy transition.
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Coal jobs down, but renewable jobs also flat in Germany
Today, Craig Morris covers the last major new chart in the update of our e-book for 2016. It shows that the worst is over in terms of job losses for coal power—and that there are already far more jobs related to renewables. What it doesn’t show is that Germany will fail to reach its 2020 target for green jobs by a wide margin.
What if all German households went renewable?
Today, Craig Morris explains our updated graphics on German energy consumption. Private consumers may support the further growth of renewables, but they also make up a relatively small part of total energy consumption.
Uruguay: revolution rather than energy transition?
In less than a decade, Uruguayan citizens have been privileged witnesses of a fast change, a true revolution, in the energy sector, and they are beginning to perceive its results. Wilson Sierra examines Uruguayan policy and its tremendous progress.
Germany is the biggest clean tech funder worldwide
Today, Craig Morris is back with a new chart added to our e-book this year. It concerns Germany’s development bank—and it stems from coverage of solar in Germany at the Economist.
Comparing “energy poverty” in Germany with other countries
We have created a slew of new charts in the annual update of this website. Today, Craig Morris focuses on two of them concerning power prices and so-called energy poverty.
The best nuclear year followed by an immediate slump
This year’s World Nuclear Status Report was published in July. 2015 turns out to have been the best year for new nuclear builds in a quarter of a century, but nothing at all has been completed yet in 2016. Craig Morris takes a look.
Nuclear weapons and nuclear power in the UK
What would Brexit mean for the proposed nuclear reactor at Hinkley and England? No one really knew—until the new government in Downing Street announced the refurbishment of its nuclear submarines. Shortly thereafter, London confirmed that it remains committed to Hinkley—before postponing a final decision once again. Craig Morris explains.
Germany gets new “Transport Transition” think tank
On July 1, Agora Verkehrswende officially went into business. A sister organization of Agora Energiewende, a think tank for Germany’s energy transition, Verkehrswende will focus (as the German name indicates) on the transport transition. If the organization truly pursues environmental policy, it will fill a gap. If it mainly concerns itself with industrial policy, it will be redundant. Craig Morris explores the possibilities.
Is policy on track for an energiewende in Japan?
The Fukushima nuclear disaster put Japanese nuclear power on hold. In the five years since, Japan’s policies have ushered in renewable energy, but Kimiko Hirata sees continued coal expansion as likely.