Germany Is Showing The World How To Become A Renewable Energy Powerhouse (frontpage xpost)
This was on DU's frontpage in the "Cool" section,
so I thought it deserved to be crossposted here in the Good Reads forum.
Germany Is Showing The World How To Become A Renewable Energy Powerhouse
To be blunt, Germany is the world's energy production guinea pig. For the past few years, Germany has been making drastic moves in the name of progress, self-sufficency and the environment.
For one, they began to close their nuclear power facilities following the Fukushima disaster, even though it accounted for a quarter of its power production. All nuclear facilities are planned to be closed by 2022.
Around the same time, Merkel and Co. passed legislation that would cause the country to generate a third of its power through renewable sources in the next ten years, that figure jumping to 80 percent by 2050, reports the AP.
And now, they have released figures that support these broad and optimistic claims. Germany's energy industry association, BDEW, released figures detailing a production of 67.9 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy for the first half of 2012, reports Reuters. This output represents a 19.5 percent increase from the same time frame in 2011.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/germany-renewable-energy-production-is-living-up-to-the-hype-2012-7#ixzz21oyYAcLz
bananas
(27,509 posts)Posted in LBN a few days ago: http://www.democraticunderground.com/101636374
From the second article below:
Belgium to Start Nuclear Phase-out in 2015
Published July 04, 2012
Dow Jones Newswire
Belgium Wednesday decided to extend the life of one of its oldest nuclear reactors by a decade to avoid the danger of blackouts while atomic power is phased out, but agreed to stick to a 2025 target date to exit nuclear power.
<snip>
The Belgium government decisions, at a meeting Wednesday, would see the phasing out of nuclear plants start in 2015, in line with a 2003 law. By 2025, all seven reactors--which are divided over two plants--will be shut. However, the lifespan of one of the country's oldest reactors would be extended by 10 years.
<snip>
Belgium's Mr. Wathelet, who Wednesday presented the plan to his colleagues after months of work, had proposed to start the shut down in 2016, but ministers decided to stick to a 2003 law mandating a nuclear phase-out starting in 2015.
<snip>
The previous Belgian government had proposed to extend the life of three reactors by a decade, but the government fell before any amendment to the 2003 law could be voted on and the idea was dropped by the present government.
<snip>
Closure dates for Belgian units
23 July 2012
The Belgian government has announced the complete schedule for the forced closure of the country's nuclear power plants, claiming that the move will "create a favourable investment climate" to replace the 50% of domestic power supply that stands to be lost.
Political shutdown dates for four reactors were announced at the end of last week, complimenting those for three units announced on 4 July. Together they will see all the Belgian units close between 2015 and 2025, roughly in line with their 40th anniversaries, despite a previously determined policy that operation of older units to 50 years was in the country's best interests. Only one unit, Tihange 1, is permitted to operate to 50 years of age; an exception made specifically to avoid blackouts, said the government.
Reactor unit Capacity Start-up Shutdown
Doel 1 433 MWe 1974 2015
Doel 2 433 MWe 1975 2015
Doel 3 1006 MWe 1982 2022
Doel 4 1047 MWe 1984 2025
Tihange 1 962 MWe 1975 2025
Tihange 2 1008 MWe 1982 2023
Tihange 3 1054 MWe 1985 2025
Total 5943 MWe
The government said that it had rewritten the 2003 law on nuclear energy so that its current stance could not be changed by decree, and therefore the timing of the phase-out "is now final." This certainty "should create a favourable investment climate which will allow us to gradually phase out nuclear power," it said.
<snip>
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)Germany was only able to begin shutting down that power by increasing imports from the French and Czech Republic nuclear power stations. If both those countries had done same Germany's policy couldn't have been pursued. The other issue is that production from renewables has increased but not necessarily sold. The intention is that its sold to German industry but they are bulking at the high price.
bananas
(27,509 posts)Germany powers France in cold despite nuclear u-turn
Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:07am EST
* Renewables, idled coal plants help Germany meet demand
* France sees price spikes as nuclear insufficient
* French nuclear future big debate point in elections
By Karolin Schaps
PARIS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Germany came to the rescue of France during last week's cold snap by massively exporting electricity to its neighbour, silencing critics who slammed Berlin last year for abruptly shutting down 8 nuclear reactors after the Fukushima disaster.
Critics said such a decision would put Europe's electricity supply balance at risk and waved the possibility of widespread blackouts as a result.
"The cold snap was a situation most experts feared and we managed without bigger problems," said Stephan Schnorr, German power trader at utility Dong Energy.
Instead, it was France which suffered from supply tightness last week, pushing prices to two-year highs and prompting the grid to issue warnings urging the public to refrain from using electrical equipment, such as washing machines or coffee makers.
<snip>
bananas
(27,509 posts)Clean-Energy-Loving Germany Increasingly Exporting Electricity to Nuclear-Heavy France
February 9, 2012 By Zachary Shahan
Remember last year when Germany decided to speed up its phasing out of nuclear power and switch to clean energy and everyone (not in the clean energy industry) got freaked out about how German electricity prices would rise and the country would just start importing electricity from Frances nuclear power plants?
Well, as I just wrote, it seems pretty clear that solar photovoltaics are bringing down the cost of electricity in Germany. Additionally, German electricity exports to France have been increasing!
<snip>
As a result, power exports from Germany to France reached 4 to 5 gigawatts the equivalent of around four nuclear power plants last Friday morning according to German journalist Bernward Janzing. It was not exactly a time of low consumption in Germany either at 70 gigawatts around noon on Friday, but Janzing nonetheless reports that the grid operators said everything was under control, and the countrys emergency reserves were not being tapped. On the contrary, he reports that a spokesperson for transit grid operator Amprion told him that photovoltaics in southern Germany is currently helping us a lot.
<snip>
Also, as you can see in the chart above, Germanys electricity from solar has been peaking at about 10 gigawatts lately, or about 40% of its 25 gigawatts of capacity. I have a feeling citizens opposed to Germanys nuclear shut down and clean energy revolution are keeping quiet at the moment.
<snip>
valerief
(53,235 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,481 posts)Thanks for the thread, bananas.
Franker65
(299 posts)I think this is really fantastic. At least somebody is trying to go green and cut emissions. The Germans will have a world class renewable grid and everyone else will come to them looking for tips.