Renewable Energies

We brought US community leaders to Germany for a week-long tour of former coal regions. On the tour, we explored ways in which coal communities can adapt to changing markets, and reinvent themselves for a sustainable future.

From the national unilateralism to the European project. The German energy market will only be successful if it cooperates with its European neighbors.

The endorsement of the Paris Agreement at the Chinese G20 was clearly a step forward for energy sustainability in the face of climate change. Still the indications of how it might be achieved is limited in scope.

The energy sector in Ukraine is undergoing a fundamental transition. Yet, to overcome old structures and deep-rooted corruption, Ukraine needs a clear long-term strategy on the transition to green economy and sustainable energy. German and the EU technical support can play a key role in this process.

The share of renewable energy in the global power mix is growing fast. Nations and corporations are switching over. However, a complete shift away from fossil energy is still not in sight. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

Wherever climate and energy negotiations take place, the coal industry wants to have their say. They often succeed. A chapter from the Coal Atlas.

Empowerment for women and youth is one of the main aims of the Moroccan association "The Human Touch". In this interview Fatima Ahouli, general secretary of the NGO, explains why it is so important to involve local residents in the planning of projects in the field of renewable energies.

Germany’s energy transition has created a global market for renewable energies. This is now enabling other countries to follow suit, in particular the United States.

Cécile Maisonneuve is Director of the Center for Energy of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales. Paul Hockenos talked with her about the German Energiewende, France’s energy future and the public debate about the renewables, which is only just beginning.

Martin Bursik is deputy leader of the Greens and chairperson of the Chamber of Renewable Energy Resources in Prague. Paul Hockenos talked with him about the renewables, the problem that Germany’s electricity flows swamping the Czech grid and the missing public debate about energy-related topics in Czech.

Germany resolved to go down the path of its energy transition – the Energiewende. But it became clear very quickly at the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s two-day conference entitled “Energiewende – Think European!” in Berlin, there’s a lot of skepticism about and even deep-seated resentment toward Germany’s energy policies. Poles and the French, Czechs and Brits, in fact most of the EU27, are not on the same page as Germany.

The “startup nation” Israel that exports solar technology abroad and is famous for the early implementation of solar water heaters is failing to implement renewable energy sources at home. Public awareness is low and the government lacks a coherent strategy even though impacts already affect the country: African climate refugees seeking water, food and shelter.

In the wake of the Arab Spring, G8 countries and other nations have pledged major sums to stabilize the region. These financial and economic support packages could also fail to stabilize the region. Successfully managing the wide range of risks involved in the region requires addressing vulnerabilities directly in order to turn what will be a low-carbon and resource-constrained future from a risk into an opportunity. 

Renewables raise German retail power rate by 7 percent but lower industry prices by 18 percent. Opponents of renewables are using the increase to claim that renewables are too expensive and should be stopped, and they are suddenly concerned about the impact on the poor – even as German power firms rake in the cash. But German media and consumer advocates don't buy the logic.

From the euro crisis to a long-term vision: In Southern Europe, there should be immediate investment in solar energy. This would show EU citizens in the north that solidarity can provide them with cheaper renewable energy and citizens in the south would experience that reforms do serve a more integrated, greener, and more just Europe. 

On  February 5th an explosion on the Sinai Peninsula damaged a gas pipeline to Jordan. The consequences are far-reaching: Supply of natural gas from Egypt was suspended, which Jordan relies on for about 80 per cent of its electricity generation needs. Heinrich Böll Stiftung asked energy consultant Dr. Malek Kabariti about the implications of the latest developments.

Renewables in the electricity sector are often built in regional cooperations. The Example of the Baltic Sea Region shows, that there is a clear potential for an energy system built on 100 percent renewable production.

The construction of a European grid is a prerequisite for the joint exploitation of renewable energy sources in Europe. But although the necessity is now widely accepted, the construction of this grid and especially of the interconnectors between the different European countries is progressing slowly. How can we speed up this process?