In the last decade, governments, the European Commission and numerous research institutes have produced one scenario for the electricity system after the other. These scenarios inform us of the future electricity mix and, importantly, of its costs, as a base for national and European energy policies. Johan Lilliestam argues that cost can not be the only determinant of our future electricity system – first, we have to politically determine what kind of energy future we want to live in.
All posts tagged: Democracy
Vauban: District of the 21st century
A barracks as a forerunner in terms of urban development and sustainable living? What sounds like a mismatch is today the home of more than 5,000 citizens of Freiburg, Germany in a district called Vauban, as Julian Wortmann explains.
What Germany’s new cabinet means for the Energiewende
On Sunday, the key posts were announced for Chancellor Merkel’s new cabinet. Craig Morris says a number of appointments make it clear that the new government aims to do what Germans do best: find a consensus.
Berliners for the Climate
Berliners go to the polls this Sunday (Nov. 3). But it’s not to elect a new parliament or chancellor – or even a municipal administration. Rather there’s a city-wide referendum about energy, namely of putting the transmission grid into citizens’ hands and founding a clean energy-minded municipal utility in Berlin.
Citizens own half of German renewable energy
German renewables organization AEE has updated and simplified its statistics on green energy ownership. Craig Morris says the new figures are much easier for foreigners to understand.
Community ownership – is it crowdfunding?
Recently, the UK’s Sam Friggens spoke of community ownership in Germany as crowdfunding. Craig Morris wondered why he had never heard the Germans call it that, and he could think of two reasons – one small, the other big.
“Less liberalized” Germany
US labor unions call for energy democracy
A new campaign for renewables in the US focuses on something too often overlooked in the debate there: community ownership. Craig Morris is pleased to see the campaign’s work, but he nonetheless has some things to critique.
Germans still overwhelmingly support Energiewende
A few weeks before the German parliamentary elections, a consumer advocacy group has published a survey of public opinion on the country’s energy transition. The findings are clear: Germans support the goals of the Energiewende. Nonetheless, Craig Morris has some nits to pick with the poll’s questions.
“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.