The Energiewende has recently received a lot of international media attention for its perceived inequity and rising costs to the private consumer. While costs for electricity might be rising in the short term, the overall effects for consumers are much smaller than one would assume reading the reports. Luckily, German civil society is not falling for efforts to discredit the Energiewende, argues Alexander Franke.
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EEX opposes capacity markets and supports marketing green power
The power exchange in Leipzig, Germany, has published a position paper on the Energiewende in German. Craig Morris sums up the main points.
Time to put renewable energy initiatives centre stage in the Netherlands
Renewable energies play a minor role in politics and media of the Netherlands. While local initiatives have the potential to lead the way, the country and its economy are still built around fossil fuels. Suzanne Schenk compares the situation to Germany and demands a policy plan with not only more ambitious specified goals for 2050 but also for 2030.
Obama’s Climate Moment in Berlin
Last week, Barack Obama came to visit Berlin. American journalist Osha Gray Davidson argues that the US can learn a lot from Germany’s energy policies: Its impacts are already visible from the Reichstag in Berlin to the smallest village.
The sweet spot of electric mobility
All eyes are on Tesla as the only car company that is currently making money on all-electric vehicles. Nonetheless, Craig Morris thinks Tesla is coming at the issue from the wrong end.
Germany takes the first step toward a supergrid
If the Energiewende is to succeed, the electricity grid needs to adapt to the flexible load and necessary transmission of renewables. David Roberts gives an overview about the challenges, policies and future of the grid in Germany.
Power to gas – when will it be competitive?
In the long run, Germany will need seasonal storage of solar power from the summer for the winter. German researchers are banking on “power to gas” (P2G). Craig Morris takes a look at how far away we are.
A roadmap for the energy transition
Last December, the IFEU Institute of Heidelberg co-published a roadmap for the Energiewende. Martin Pehnt, a co-author of this website, helped direct the project. Craig Morris says the ideas are quite practical.
PV + battery storage not affordable in foreseeable future
A new study by German think tank Agora Energiewende looks into what solar power with storage would need to cost to be competitive with other optimized growth scenarios. Craig Morris says the findings need to be heeded.
“So there’s no critical discourse about energy-related topics”
Martin Bursik is deputy leader of the Greens and chairperson of the Chamber of Renewable Energy Resources in Prague. Paul Hockenos talked with him about the renewables, the problem that Germany’s electricity flows swamping the Czech grid and the missing public debate about energy-related topics in the Czech Republic.