According to the document, “Germany is to become one of the most energy-efficient and greenest economies in the world while enjoying competitive energy prices and a high level of prosperity.”
Twelve years later, it’s clear that Germany’s giant gamble on green energy hasn’t come close to meeting the ambitious goals its architects promised. In fact, one can make a solid argument that Germany’s Energy Concept has backfired and created a host of new problems, while failing to address the primary problems it was supposed to correct in the first place.
Part of the reason for the spectacular failure of Germany’s quest for an “Energiewende” (energy turnaround) is the fact that it abandoned a key component of the plan less than a year into its implementation: “nuclear power as a bridging technology.”
Per the Energy Concept, “A limited extension of the operating lives of existing nuclear power plants makes a key contribution to achieving the three energy policy goals of climate protection, economic efficiency and supply security in Germany within a transitional period. It paves the way for the age of renewable energy, particularly through price-curbing impacts and a reduction in energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.”
In 2011, less than a year after the Energy Concept was announced, Germany decided to close all of its nuclear power plants. Why? Because of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Never mind that tsunamis do not occur in land-locked Germany.
As Germany has weaned itself off of nuclear energy and increased its wind and solar capabilities, it has also become a large importer of crude oil and natural gas from Russia.
Further, as EIA notes, “In 2019, Russia (with a share of 31.5%), Norway (11.3%), and the United Kingdom (11.9%) combined accounted for 54.7% of total crude oil imports to Germany.”
The point is that Germany’s economy, although increasingly reliant on solar and wind power, is still dependent on Russia for much of its energy supply. And what happens when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining?
Perhaps this is why Germany has been so reluctant to play hardball with Russia over the Ukraine situation.
As for the promise that Germany’s green energy transformation would create competitive energy prices, that has fallen by the wayside as well.
So, more than a decade into Germany’s grand green energy gamble, energy prices are through the roof, Germany is dependent on Russia for fossil fuels, and the nuclear bridge has been blown-up.
In other words, Germany’s Energiewende has been a colossal failure, which should serve as a lesson for the United States.
In the United States, many on the far left are also pushing for an energy turnaround; they call it the Green New Deal. Like Germany’s Energy Concept, the Green New Deal would fast track expensive, unreliable wind and solar power while reducing affordable, reliable energy from fossil fuels.
However, despite ample amounts of natural gas and oil that could be used in the United States and exported to Western Europe, the Biden administration has put the kibosh on American energy production. Making matters worse, Biden terminated the Keystone XL pipeline his first day in the Oval Office.
Like Germany, the United States is unnecessarily painting itself into an energy corner. It could be too late for Germany to reverse course; however, the United States still has time on its side—as long as it learns from the errors of Germany’s disastrous Energiewende.
