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.
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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.
What will the Energiewende cost?
Researchers from Fraunhofer ISE have published a new report investigating the net cost of Germany’s energy transition. The good news is that the German government’s current goals are likely to be affordable. The bad news is that 100 percent renewable energy is less so.
How lax EU standards could enter the US
Europeans fear that the TTIP free trade agreement between the United States and the EU would water down their environmental standards, but the recent diesel emissions scandal shows that the opposite could be the case. Craig Morris explains.
If Germany had four times more solar…
Germany is the country with the most photovoltaics installed worldwide. A new study now says that solar in combination with batteries would allow a lot more PV to be installed. Craig Morris says the investigation confirms his worst fears.