Crossing the 20 Percent Mark: Green Energy Use Jumps in Germany

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:



During the first half of 2011, the share of renewable energy sources used by Germans in their total energy mix grew to one-fifth -- a hefty boost over 2010. It's a small step toward Germany's ambition to phase out nuclear power.

It is a report that is bound to please Chancellor Angela Merkel. Just months after she expended significant political capital to guide Germany's future energy production away from nuclear and toward renewable sources, a report by a leading energy industry group indicates that production of renewables in the country is rising rapidly.

According to the report, released on Monday by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), renewables accounted for fully 20.8 percent of production during the first six months of 2011. "Renewable energies have crossed the 20 percent mark in Germany for the first time," the association said in a statement.

In 2010, green energy consumption totalled 18.3 percent of total demand. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,783314,00.html

[sam11111]

1. Good news! All uranium should go back in the ground

(Except tiny amounts for physics, or medical uses)

Man is not wise enough to use large amounts of it safely.

N-war may be the end of us all one day...........

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. Couldn't agree more. And welcome to DU.

:hi:

[Overseas]

2. K&R. Congratulations to them.

[Lance_Boyle]

4. So use of renewables grew by ~2%. Meanwhile nuclear power imported from France

doubled.

http://economicsnewspaper.com/policy/spain/germany-doubled-its-imports-of-nuclear-energy-from-france-9106.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-30/germany-becomes-net-power-importer-from-france-after-atomic-halt.html

They're stretching pretty hard to paint this as a win.