German Energy Expert Argues Against Subsidies for Solar Power
Stephan Kohler, the head of the German Energy Agency, says the country must act smarter and more realistically in its transition to renewable energy. The "feel-good" subsidies for locally produced wind...
View ArticleMerkel Climate Advisor Blasts Politicians for Doing too Little
Politicians need to get their act together on climate change, says Chancellor Angela Merkel's leading climate advisor Hans Joachim Schellnhuber just days before the global warming conference in Qatar....
View ArticleFailed CO2 Targets: Going Through the Motions at UN Climate Conference
The United Nations Climate Change Conference beginning in Doha this week is turning into a farce. While negotiators are sticking to the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, even...
View ArticleGermany to Exempt 1,550 Firms From Power Price Surcharge
Germany plans to exempt 1,550 large firms from a power price surcharge that covers part of the cost of switching to renewable energy. Critics say the list of exemptions is spurious and unfair to...
View ArticleMember of Merkel Cabinet Calls for Nationalization of German Power Grid
Germany urgently needs to expand and update its power grid to meet its goal of phasing out nuclear energy and going green, but development appears to have short circuited. A member of Chancellor Angela...
View ArticleGerman Environment Ministry Plans to Cap Subsidies for Renewables
Environment Minister Peter Altmaier wants to limit the cost of Germany's green energy revolution by capping subsidies for renewable energy. The plan, aimed at halting a recent surge in electricity...
View ArticleEra of Fast Growth Ends for Wind Energy in Europe
The debt crisis is finally catching up with wind energy, once a fast-growing sector in Europe. After more than a decade of double-digit growth, austerity, rapidly changing energy policies and skittish...
View ArticleBrazilian Adventure: A German Utility's Multibillion Risks Abroad
Looking for new growth markets, executives at German electrical utility company E.on saw what they thought could be a golden opportunity in Brazil. Now their local partner is threatened with major...
View ArticleGerman Renewable Energy Policy Takes Toll on Nature Conservation
The German government is carrying out a rapid expansion of renewable energies like wind, solar and biogas, yet the process is taking a toll on nature conservation. The issue is causing a rift in the...
View ArticleGermany Cancels Trio of Climate Programs amid Funding Shortfall
As prices for carbon emissions continue to languish, Berlin is planning to cancel some key subsidy programs aimed at increasing reliance on renewable energies. Germany and other European countries seem...
View ArticleCompetitors and Local Opposition Threatens Desertec Solar Plan
The ambitious Desertec plan to supply Europe with solar power from the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East seems to have stalled. It could now be facing even greater problems as competitors...
View ArticleGermany Backing Away from Leadership Role on Climate
German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded an international climate deal by 2015 on Monday. Yet at home, she has declined to push for badly needed fixes to Europe's ailing carbon cap-and-trade program....
View ArticleGermany Faces Tough Decisions as It Dismantles Nuclear Plants
The dismantling of Germany's nuclear power plants will be one of the greatest tasks of the century as the country moves to phase out atomic energy. It will take at least until 2080 to complete the job....
View ArticleEuropean Commission Set to Fight German Energy Subsidies
As part of Germany's switch to renewables, industry has been exempt from paying higher prices associated with solar and wind energy. The European Commission, however, believes the practice distorts...
View ArticleGerman Court to Rule on Property Rights in Brown Coal Mining Dispute
A giant open-pit mining area near Cologne has already swallowed up 14 villages, but one police officer is fighting to protect his home. He has managed to bring his case before Germany's highest court,...
View ArticleInterview: EU Commissioner on the Future of Emissions Trading
The European system of carbon trading has practically collapsed as politicians prioritize the economy over the environment. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard discusses renewed efforts and why...
View ArticleWind Energy Encounters Problems and Resistance in Germany
Germany plans to build 60,000 new wind turbines -- in forests, in the foothills of the Alps and even in protected environmental areas. But local residents are up in arms, costs are skyrocketing and...
View ArticleEuropean Commission Plans to Probe German Renewable Energy Law
The European Commission plans to launch a probe this Wednesday into Germany's renewable energy law. Brussels says it breaches EU competition law because it exempts many companies from charges levied to...
View ArticleGerman Offshore Wind Industry Goes from Boom To Bust
Only recently, the offshore wind industry was seen as an opportunity to regenerate Germany's coast. But amid changing political attitudes and spiraling costs, several companies are struggling to...
View ArticleGerman Wind Farm Delayed by WWII Munitions Discovery
The ambitious Riffgat wind farm was supposed to open off the German and Dutch coast this month and power 120,000 homes. Now the discovery of unexploded ordinance is causing a costly delay.
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