The german energy transition issues and perspectives jan keil december 2012 introduction. Thegerman term energiewende energy transition refers to a fundamental transition to a decarbonized energy system mainly based on variable renewable energy wind, solar, with the emphasis on increased energy efficiencywithout the use of nuclear energy. Presently, the share of electricity produced from renewables is about 23 percent, which is slightly more than nuclear power 18 percent. In this paper, i use the resilience framework to interpret the project of transforming the german energy system into a renewable energy sources resbased system, the. The broad consensus assembled by the german government starts a process that will. The european dimension of germanys energy transition.
Faced with the challenges of climate change, limits on fossil fuel resources, and the prospects of development, it is reasonable to conclude that some other sort of energy transition must occur. Germany energy transition archive of european integration. On september 23th and 24th the 7th meeting of the germanjapanese energy transition council gjetc was held in tokyo. What future for the german energy transition policy. Germanys energy consumption and power mix in charts. The following provides an alternative perspective to the negative perceptions in the us of the german energy transition. Challenges of the energy transition the german energy transition is much more than phasing out nuclear energy. Nov 12, 2010 energy consumption has increased, primarily through the use of fossil fuels. A revolution in the german electric power sector the reaction of german energy policy to the 2011 fukushima catastrophe was swift and. The law includes ambitious targets around reducing greenhouse gas ghg emissions and overall energy consumption. The energy transition is one of the major global societal challenges of this century, bringing together technical, social, economic, legal and spatial challenges. It is the highest level found in the european union eu 28. The role of natural gas in the energy transition marcel kramer regional coordinator international gas union and president, energy delta institute.
Thus, the energy transition provides a counterexample to the view that transformational change at lower scales facilitates resilience at higher scales. What germans find positive about the energy transition. Case study report energiewende european commission europa. Social democratic energy spokesman bernd westphal told clew in an interview. First, we see that 34 gigawatts is considered part of the grassroots movement. Travelling exhibition energiewende germany s energy transition hardly any other topic in german politics attracts as much international interest as energy policy.
That said, it is nonetheless very challenging for businesses to tailor their investments to manage this energy transition. The german energy transition as a regime shift request pdf. Clearly, the energy transition is happening largely without large energy providers in germany. The energiewende is based on innovations, the research for which is supported by the german federal ministry of education and research. This website aims to explain what the german energy transition is, how it works, and what challenges lay ahead. Pdf the german energy transition in the context of the. Wind, water and solar power renewable energies are the key to sustainable energy supply.
Energiewende can be translated as energy transition, dates back to nuclear opponents. Series on the german energy transition 6 of 6 german energy freedom moving beyond energy independence to energy democracy by craig morris. Agora energiewende is a thinktank and policy laboratory that develops scientifically based and politically feasible approaches for ensuring the success of the german energy transition. With the energy transition, germany is pursuing an ambitious path to an energy policy which is more secure, affordable and sustainable. A briefing document from the civil society institute 4 myths about the. Series on the german energy transition 6 of 6 german. Energy transitions are based on the notion that an energy resource, or a group of energy resources, dominates the market for a period or. While the use of nuclear has been disputed for decades, the 2011 fukushima accident in japan was the last nail to the cof. The climate group, alongside the initiatives lead government, north rhinewestphalia, and stiftung mercator launched the energy transition platform in early 2016. This should help germany to make a sig nificant contribution towards combating climate change. The ebook on germanys energiewende explains the countrys politics and policies, often regarded as the front runner in the global energy transition. The 12person delegation included representatives from business, academia, government, and ngos. The new german government and the energy transition clean.
Nera ten challenges for the energy transition nera. Germany has to import a large proportion of its sources of energy. International gas union as the global voice of gas, igu seeks to improve the quality of life by advancing gas as a. The term energiewende is regularly used in english language publications without being translated a loanword. Energy efficiency policies in the german energy transition barbara schlomann, clemens rohde, fraunhofer institute for systems and innovation research isi, karlsruhe, germany marc ringel, nurtingengeislingen university, geislingen, germany abstract germany s energy system is currently undergoing a massive transformation. In this paper, i use the resilience framework to interpret the project of transforming the german energy system into a renewable energy sources resbased system, the socalled energiewende, as a. Citizens own half of german renewable energy energy transition. Germanys energiewende the easy guide clean energy wire. Renewable energy generation will be led by wind and solar power. The rise of energy gases, sustainable life and growth, and the next great economic expansion.
The energy transition law establishes that the ministry of energy, through the clean energy goals and energy efficiency goals, will promote power generation via clean energy sources to allow industry to comply with standards established in mexicos general climate change law and electric industry law. Pdf the energy transition or energiewende is a main topic in german politics. German energy transition wind, water and solar power renewable energies are the key to sustainable energy supply. The clean energy wire asked the energy transition expert about co.
The french energy transition for green growth law or energy transition law, adopted in august 2015, marks a turning point in carbon reporting. Bernd westphal, social democratic energy spokesman. The german model with its energiewende berlin has adopted an overall energy concept that is as yet unique for a major industrial country. This website highlights how energy transitions around the world are moving forward. Energy law eeg in 2000 with wind and pv as the main growth drivers. The book presents a comprehensive and systematic account of the concept, the current status and the costs of the german energy transition.
The efficient use of electricity, heat and fuel saves money, increases security of supply and protects the climate. Energy transitions understanding the challenge the. Energy efficiency potential is greatest in the residential sector and in a shift to cogeneration. A wealth of numbers and statistics describe the energy generation and consumption of nation states. The german energy transformation is a concrete programme and it is happening. The german energy transition as a regime shift sciencedirect. German for energy transition is the planned transition by germany to a low carbon, environmentally sound, reliable, and affordable energy supply.
Energy efficiency policies in the german energy transition. Jun 24, 2015 the german energy transition or energiewende cannot be regarded as a solely german phenomenon and is increasingly impacting energy systems far beyond its borders. The energy transition needs implementation of excellent building blocks, in an integrated approach and with a broad public support. This paper takes a thorough look at germanys energy transition. It shows how they work, and what challenges lie ahead.
Oct 29, 20 in contrast, institutional and strategic investors accounted for 36%, 49%, and 39% of these investments, slightly less than half. European perspectives on the german energy transition. The energy transition in germany is nothing less than the restructuring of the entire energy supply in the sectors electricity, heat, and transportation in a highly industrialized country. As such, 75 percent of participants agreed with the statement that renewables contribute to a secure future for our children and grandchildren. Germanys energy transition has been driven by its decision to abandon and replace nuclear power by 2022. With its twin objectives of phasing out nuclear power and decarbonising the energy supply, the german energy transition is of worldwide significance. The energy transformation, in germany widely known as the energiewende, is the countrys planned transition to a lowcarbon, nuclearfree economy. Sep 19, 2017 agora energiewende is a thinktank and policy laboratory that develops scientifically based and politically feasible approaches for ensuring the success of the german energy transition. Recently, german solar research institute fraunhofer pdf put the payback time. Is there a dark side to germanys energy transition. The economic challenges and chances of the german energy.
Energy transitions understanding the challenge 1 march 2016by energyxpodcasts what will it really take to make a transition to a sustainable energy society. This paper is part six of a sixpart series on the german energy transition energiewende. While there may be cases in which transformability is a prerequisite for resilience, the energy transition shows that the reverse dependency may also hold. If the energiewende is to turn into a true success story which we have alerted to before it must become more european. The german energy transition means a fundamental reconstruction of our total energy system the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 % means nothing less than a decarbonised economy and society and instead. At the same time, we want the energy transition because it offers. Not only is it a core project of the merkel coalition government, but it. Finally, energy providers made up only a miniscule 22%, 3%, and 10%. Energy transition policy under scrutiny the cost of the renewable energy expansion. It sets out a roadmap to mitigate climate change and diversify the energy mix. The authors are experts on different issues such as renewable energies.
This factsheet provides a range of charts and data links about the status of germany s energy mix, as well as developments in energy and power production and usage since 1990. Pdf the german energy transition in the context of the eu. All the more so if the challenges of climate change and sustainable energy security are taken seriously, for they can only be tackled. The project was sponsored by the konrad adenauer stiftung and the chicago council on global affairs. That s why our portfolio is a balance of advantaged. The energy transition platform supports state and regional governments to develop and implement innovative clean energy policies.
In 40 years, electricity generation, which for the most part, is currently based on fossil fuels such as coal and gas, will be almost entirely converted to renewable energy sources. The expansion of renewable energies is an important concern for an overwhelming majority of germans. On september 23th and 24th the 7th meeting of the german japanese energy transition council gjetc was held in tokyo. Germany s energy transition has been driven by its decision to abandon and replace nuclear power by 2022. The german energy transition issues and perspectives.
Not only is it a core project of the merkel coalition government, but it is also a matter that, in general terms. All our projections see renewables growing at a fast pace but with oil and gas continuing to play a prominent role over the next two decades. The german energy transition energiewende orkestra deusto. The german energy transition or energiewende cannot be regarded as a solely german phenomenon and is increasingly impacting energy systems far beyond its borders. Grid expansion and integration is required within germany and across europe. The ebook on germanys energiewende explains the countrys politics and policies, often regarded as. The most important advantages of renewables for people in germany are future security and climate protection. Germanys socalled energiewende energy transition of summer 2011 could be the final episode of a longrunning political conflict over the use of nuclear energy. Stabilizing the energy supply under growing shares of renewables. Energy transition and challenges for the 21st century bruna jaeger1 patricia machry2 abstract this section deals with the debate on the challenges generated by the energy transition. But there is much more to it than phasing out nuclear power and expanding renewable energies in the power sector. The energy transition or energiewende is a main topic in german politics. If the energiewende is to turn into a true success story it must become more european.
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