In the 1990s, the small Bavarian town of Wildpoldsried decided to embrace renewables. Today, it produces several times the energy it consumes and has become a testing ground for future smart grid technologies, as Laurie Guevara-Stone notes.
All posts tagged: Communities
Is offshore wind the big story?
Increasingly, we read that offshore wind in Germany is getting going. While the news is good, it overstates the role of offshore wind in the country’s energy transition. Craig Morris explains.
100% renewable energy as centerpiece of a climate action plan
At the end of September, the heads of states met in New York for a climate summit to pledge action on climate change. While renewables were not at the center of attention, Anna Leidreiter argues that future commitments need to contain a pledge to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. A growing number of cities, regions and even countries around the world have already proven that such a path is realistic.
German Energy Bloggers grow and grow
Over the weekend, Germany’s Energieblogger met at SMA’s headquarters in Kassel for a barcamp to discuss the hottest topics in the renewables sector, do some strategic planning, and – most importantly – finally have a face-to-face chat with colleagues they otherwise only communicate with virtually. The group has grown tremendously over the past year and is now a major collective voice for the Energiewende. Craig Morris explains.
Nervousness behind the scenes in Berlin
Craig Morris just spent three weeks in Berlin and other German cities speaking with a slew of energy experts off the record. Today, he talks about the nervous mood in the wake of the recent policy changes.
The Feed-in Tariff is better than is commonly understood
The Feed-in Tariff (FiT) has proven to be the most successful policy for climate protection and sustainable development. As the cornerstone of overwhelming renewable energy development worldwide, it has resulted in significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, green jobs, revenues for governments and citizens and cost-competitive alternatives to harmful fossil fuels. Despite all that, the FiT is currently under attack. This is especially so in frontrunner country Germany, where the government has approved the phase out of the FiT through recent reform. But as Anna Leidreiter explains, the Feed-in Tariff is a better policy than is commonly understood.
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.
Regenerative Urban Development in Practice: Renewable Wilhelmsburg
The Fight for the Grid in Boulder
In a historic vote, Boulder, Colorado, remunicipalized its energy provider. Charleen Fei and Ian Rinehart explain whether this is part of a broader trend and what differentiates Boulder from other American cities fighting for control over municipal utilities.
Germany struts its Renewable Stuff
The Energiewende is Germany’s poster child. No wonder, a guidebook which details nearly 200 renewable energy sites throughout Germany is selling well. Komila Nabiyeva reports from Berlin.