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.
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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.
Citibank: How investments in clean energy can save trillions
For years, critics have attacked renewables by arguing that a transition to clean energies would be a money-losing business. Today, even Citibank estimates that transitioning to clean energy will globally save an estimated $1.8 trillion in comparison to a business-as-usual scenario by 2040. Karin Rives summarizes their findings.
Renewable energy and the need for storage: Lessons to be learned from the situation in Germany
According to conventional wisdom, renewable energy needs storage options. While it is true that a completely renewable energy system would need mechanisms to balance supply and demand, there is surprisingly little need for energy storage until renewables reach a really high share in the power mix. Martin Tampier reviews the scientific literature and looks at the implications for North America.
The right lessons from the Energiewende
Foreign onlookers are interested to know what lessons can be learned from Germany’s energy transition. In a recent article, a German energy sector executive drew conclusions for the outside world themselves. Craig Morris can’t follow the logic.
Turning Point: Decoupling Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Economic Growth
2015 marks an important year for international climate politics. The challenge is to find ways in which economic growth can be decoupled from greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption. In some parts of the world, this decoupling trend is already happening, as a recent Heinrich Boell Foundation study finds.
Energy prices not making Germany uncompetitive
Most of the talk about high energy prices in Germany focuses only on retail electricity rates. But firms pay different power prices, and their expenses on energy may focus more on fossil fuels for heat than electricity. Furthermore, German labor is expensive and may often be a bigger budget item than energy. Craig Morris summarizes the findings of two recent studies.
What Germany can learn from California’s innovative start-up culture – An Interview with Cem Oezdemir
Smart energy infrastructure and an entrepreneurial spirit will play an important role in driving energy transitions around the world. Cem Özdemir, Co-Chairman of the German Green Party, traveled to San Francisco to witness how innovative solutions are driving low-carbon development in the Bay Area. Here he explains how California could serve as a model for German start-ups.
Electric vehicles will drive Germany’s Energiewende
Transportation in Germany accounts for around 20 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. With 95% of fuel used in the transportation sector derived from fossil fuels, there is much room for improvement. According to Giovanni Dubon, the solution to this is electrifying the transportation sector.
No business case for lots of wind and solar
In recent years, the increasing competitiveness of wind and solar power has been widely hailed. But there is a cloud to this silver lining – power production does not match power demand. As a result, the actual value of wind and solar power will decrease as we get more of it. Craig Morris says policymakers should pay attention.