Over the last years, China has become the world’s biggest market for renewables. But due to it’s ever growing energy demand, fossil fuels are still considered part of China’s energy future. YU Wenxuan sheds a light on the current state of China’s Energiewende.
Archives
Germany’s excess generation capacity
Over the past decade, German power firms made considerable investments in new conventional capacity. At the same time, German SMEs, energy cooperatives, and ordinary citizens made considerable investments in renewable generation capacity. The result is excess capacity. Craig Morris takes a look at some of the country’s energy experts who did not see this outcome coming.
Energiewende à la Française – two steps forward, one step back?
The French government has recently presented the first details on a long expected energy transition law. While it might help in the transport and heating sector, too little is done to switch France’s energy system from nuclear to renewables, argues Kathrin Glastra.
Did Germany give thumbs up or down to Fracking?
Depending on who you ask, Germany just imposed a temporary moratorium on fracking or just opened the floodgates for it. As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle, with opposing camps reading the worst into the facts for their own political campaigning. Craig Morris says the situation in Ukraine is illustrative.
The Death of another ‘Beautiful Game’?
The European Commission is redesigning its renewable energy policy – at the expense of small co-ops, citizens and consumers. Alan Simpson compares the situation to football – and hopes that we can still turn around the game.
Convincing German coal mining communities to go green
Reports on German coal mining sometimes depict the destruction of villages as something new – and almost always as an ironic new outcome of the Energiewende. In reality, it’s a continuation of a century’s business as usual. And German citizens are not the defenseless anti-coal victims they are portrayed to be. In reality, it’s not easy to convince local communities affected by mining that renewables are a better option. Craig Morris investigates.
Why didn’t Germany have a coal phaseout?
Why was a nuclear phaseout easier than a coal phaseout in Germany? This is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear. Craig Morris has an answer about the historic reasons – and it’s not what you’re expecting. For the potential of a future coal phaseout, he has co-authored a new study.
Regenerative Urban Development in Practice: Renewable Wilhelmsburg
What’s happening with biomass in Germany?
Biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in Germany, but the German government has scaled back support in recent years. Under the amendments to the German Renewable Energy Act to become law in August, support would be reduced even further. Craig Morris investigates.
Will market coupling lead to one European power market?
Market coupling is a good way to allocate cross-border transmission capacity, better for example than explicit auctions. But it is not the same as a single power market. Nor does it inevitably lead to one. Jan Ondrich takes a look.