Germany plans to shut all nuclear reactors by 2022, Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition announced on Monday, in a policy reversal drawn up in a rush after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
The coalition, sensitive to accusations it may increase dependence on highly polluting brown coal, said it planned to cut power use by 10 percent by 2020 and further expand the use of renewables such as wind and solar power.
Merkel's bid to outflank the opposition smacks of opportunism to many Germans but could ease an alliance with the anti-nuclear Greens that may be her best bet to stay in power. Polls clearly show that most Germans dislike nuclear energy.
In nine months, she has gone from touting nuclear plants as a safe "bridge" to renewable energy and extending their lifespan to pushing a nuclear exit strategy that rivals the ambitions of the Social Democrats and Greens.
And they make what appear to me, some very questionable assumptions...
To accompany the nuclear exit, Germany plans to cut electricity usage by 10 percent by 2020 and double the share of renewable energy sources to 35 percent over the same period, according to a government paper seen by Reuters.
Merkel did not outline further details but the government paper said Germany's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 remained in place.
A quarter says it won't happen (that's a big wager in my book)
Germany might cut electricity use per capita, but will not reduce total electricity use (which will continue to climb).
I suspect they'll do this through engineering materials that reduce energy loss during transmission. (the new lightbulbs, for example, will reduce energy use per capita)
As far as renewable energy sources are concerned ----
- Correct me if I'm wrong - but I suspect the region lacks sufficient sunlight to leverage solar power as envisioned.
- I think it's possible they'll use wind power
- Environmental politics will prevent them from using additional hydro power (a significant possible resource for Germany)
My money - they will not double the share of renewable energy resources by 2020.
Rockdoc - would love to hear your opinion, on this.
bailey bud wrote: Mostly hype and typical head bobbing poli-talk.
A quarter says it won't happen (that's a big wager in my book)
Germany might cut electricity use per capita, but will not reduce total electricity use (which will continue to climb).
I suspect they'll do this through engineering materials that reduce energy loss during transmission. (the new lightbulbs, for example, will reduce energy use per capita)
As far as renewable energy sources are concerned ----
- Correct me if I'm wrong - but I suspect the region lacks sufficient sunlight to leverage solar power as envisioned.
- I think it's possible they'll use wind power
- Environmental politics will prevent them from using additional hydro power (a significant possible resource for Germany)
My money - they will not double the share of renewable energy resources by 2020.
Rockdoc - would love to hear your opinion, on this.
Per a friend of mine from Germany, everyone there already uses LED lightbulbs - they find it hysterical that we are just starting to switch over to CFLs (but maybe her friends are more progressive, I don't know how widely used in rural areas they are). As for phasing out nuclear, and Switzerland too, I wonder if they've thought it through in terms of projections for total power needed, and how they'll make up that difference if they remove nuclear from their portfolio. They do already have a large solar component to their renewable energy production, not sure how much more they can scale up.
http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/solar-i ... lar-power/
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
I see rolling blackouts in their future along with lots of dirty coal.
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy
France is 80% Nuke and a net electricity exporter. Germany will just buy electricity from France when the wind stops blowing. When France has an earthquake the radiation will blow into Germany anyway.
Politicians should not be setting hard deadlines and setting arbitrary percentages for renewable power. Instead, a long term regional plan should be developed with knowledgeable input from the states, utilities, and energy experts. Politicians don't know a kilowatt from a spark plug.
Same is true for Colorado and California. The reason they think they can claim to do 30% wind/solar is because they can just import dirty power from other states when we come up short.
The graph shows the challenge that power stations have to manage. Changing load demand. They have to keep spinning thermal reserves going and adjust to demand increases. Hydro works well to match the load if you have it.
You can see in the graph, the free hydro was ramped down to allow for a blip up in wind energy that wasn't even needed. And a very minor blip down in Thermal (coal/nuclear) that is just waste heat. Its more complex than the politicians want you to believe.
If you want to be, press one. If you want not to be, press 2
Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
Here is a possible example of poor planning and excessive tax breaks. BPA in Oregon has more hydro power than they know what to do with, so they shut down the wind power. Wind mills popping up where they are not needed just to grab the tax credits? I'm not dissing all wind and solar, just the bad planning and poor tax policy for political gain.
In a decision that speaks to the region's ability -- or inability -- to effectively manage all the simultaneous wind and water energy being generated in the Columbia Gorge, the Bonneville Power Administration said Friday it will pull the plug on wind farms at times when excess generation threatens to swamp the system's ability to handle it.
BPA is aware that wind farms don't want free hydropower because power buyers are also after renewable energy credits.
Shut off the damn Hydro, we wanna sell our wind power credits!
If you want to be, press one. If you want not to be, press 2
Republicans are red, democrats are blue, neither of them, gives a flip about you.
Joe wrote: Here is a possible example of poor planning and excessive tax breaks. BPA in Oregon has more hydro power than they know what to do with, so they shut down the wind power. Wind mills popping up where they are not needed just to grab the tax credits? I'm not dissing all wind and solar, just the bad planning and poor tax policy for political gain.
In a decision that speaks to the region's ability -- or inability -- to effectively manage all the simultaneous wind and water energy being generated in the Columbia Gorge, the Bonneville Power Administration said Friday it will pull the plug on wind farms at times when excess generation threatens to swamp the system's ability to handle it.
Taxing in this country ( and others) have been social engineering and special interest give a ways. Sorry state.
I would be very surprised it Germany is able to cut energy use that much by 2020. Don't people tend to use more energy as they become more developed? Germany has already spent billions on very costly solar energy, costly because they don't get as much sunlight as the US does. It could be interesting to see if France makes out like a bandit getting the Swiss, GB, and Germany to bid for their nuke power.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
You have a good point about France, they will probably build more plants to help out Germany but at the same time, they will be making some good $$ and be in a better position of political power.
When there is a bigger world wide economic collapse, countries who can power themselves will have the greatest chance to get through it....something this country needs to think about.
It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers−out of unorthodoxy