In the media: Energiewende could bring 230,000 new jobs by 2050
neue energie
“230,000 new jobs – if the Energiewende succeeds”
A new and as yet unpublished study by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy concludes that renewables are a boon for the economy and increase the number of jobs in Germany, according to an article in renewable magazine neue energie. The 200-page study, authored by five research institutes, includes various development scenarios until the year 2050. Under the assumption that the roll-out of renewables will continue on a national and international level and export success will be moderate to good, the country could benefit from a net gain of 100,000 jobs by 2030, and to 230,000 by 2050. While the roll-out of renewables will place a burden on consumers until around 2030, it will reduce households’ energy costs thereafter, with a positive knock-on effect on consumer spending, the article reports the study as finding. The ministry declined to tell the magazine when the study would be published.
See the article in German here.
See CLEW's Dossier on the Energiewende's impact on jobs and industry here.
Reuters
“Merkel sees Energiewende in critical phase”
The Energiewende is a “learning experience” for Germany and has reached a decisive stage, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel. “We are currently in a critical phase in which the share of renewable energies has developed from a niche into the main pillar of our energy supply,” she said at the opening of the industrial trade fair Hannover Messe according to a Reuters report. The consequences of this switch-over are to keep the country busy for many years to come, Merkel said. She insisted that Germany must defend and extend its position as world market leader in renewables, as more than 130 countries already provide support for green energy, Reuters reports.
See the article in German here.
tageszeitung
“Where are 99.9 percent?”
National service union Verdi is protesting loudly against the government’s proposal for a coal levy, dispite lignite power plant emissions being indisputably bad for human health and the environment, writes Malte Kreutzfeldt in a commentary for the tageszeitung. This implies the union puts the interests of the 0.1 percent of its members who work in the industry above those of the roughly 99.9 percent who suffer from coal’s dire consequences, Kreutzfeldt says. “This is a structural problem: While the relatively low number of workers in the brown coal industry are well-organised, opponents are barely visible.” Kreutzfeldt argues that the large majority of the public who oppose coal must increase pressure on politics to phase out the technology.
See the article in German here.
Insecurity in power station investment
The German Association for Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) has published its annual list of planned power station units, finding that of the 74 plants (comprising 33,000 megawatts of capacity) currently under construction or in the permission process, 39 are yet to be given the final go-ahead on investment. The BDEW compares this figure to 2013, when there was similar uncertainty over just 32 projects. “If the political situation remains as it is, there will be no new modern power stations anymore. There are simply too few incentives for investment,” BDEW chairwoman Hildegard Müller said in a press release. The BDEW lists fossil power plant (gas and coal), hydropower and offshore wind projects with a capacity of more than 20 megawatts. Out of the 74 planned stations, 33 are offshore wind parks and 24 are gas-fired units.
See the BDEW press release and the power station list (Kraftwerksliste) in German here.
See a CLEW article on the status of coal power in Germany here.
Globe and Mail
“Germany recharged: EU powerhouse goes all in on alternative energy”
Reporting for Globe and Mail, Joanna Slater explores the current state of “the most ambitious energy revolution anywhere in the industrialised world.” She describes how recently, a huge area of northern Germany temporarily covered its power demand with renewable sources only – a situation set to occur with increasing frequency. But this achievement has come with a price tag, as consumers and some sectors of industry are saddled with high electricity bills. The country also faces challenges in storing and transporting renewable power.
See the article in English here.
The Carbon Brief
“Climate showdown: Has the US, UK or Germany done more to cut emissions?”
In a blog post for the Carbon Brief, Simon Evans uses different comparisons to analyse three nations’ efforts to cut carbon. Using the European baseline of 1990 levels, the data shows that US carbon emissions in 2014 were up around 8 percent, German emissions were down 24 percent and the UK's down nearly 3o percent. Using America’s 2005 baseline, the US shows by far the greatest reductions in CO2. But Evans also notes that “US carbon emissions in 2014 were around 13 times higher than those from the UK and seven times Germany's,” and that emissions per capita are much higher in the US than the other two countries.
See the post in English here.
See CLEW’s Dossier on the Energiewende and climate change here.
Bloomberg
“Germany Proves Life With Less Fossil Fuel Getting Easier”
An article by Stefan Nicola and Reed Landberg for Bloomberg looks at the challenges of keeping the German grid stable as the share of renewables in the power mix increases. Germany must make major investments in its grid infrastructure and manufacturers are developing storage solutions for excess power, the article says. But the system remains stable, with power outages of just 15 minutes per year - compared with 68 minutes in France.
See the article in English here.
See CLEW’s Dossier on the power grid here.
