How Germany is on track to fully transition to renewables in record time
As one of the most relevant technological evolutions of our times, Germany’s transition from carbon to renewable energy is worth a closer look.
Germany has been accused of panicking and over-hastily abandoning nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in 2011, but the reality is that the anti-nuclear movement there has a very long history and deep roots.
The decision to close the last nuclear power plant this year and an unambiguous commitment to renewables is based on a no-nonsense cost-benefit analysis that shows how nuclear power has simply become a way of transferring huge amounts of public money to private companies, coupled with the fact that renewable energy is cheaper and more reliable than ever.
In stark contrast, neighboring France intends to build a new generation of nuclear power plants throughout the country — if it can attract the investment, which is far from certain — in the process generating a huge radioactive waste problem and a potential threat to its neighbors.
Germany has been accused of increasing coal consumption to make up the nuclear shortfall. This is nonsense: investment in solar and wind puts the country at the top of the list of countries based on the contribution of renewables to total supply: 46% in 2021…
