Germany raises estimates for renewable energy production

• 14 years ago (2010-08-05)
• David Flin

Europe 1088 North America 1021 Renewables 776

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Germany’s Federal Cabinet has adopted a national renewable energy action plan presented by the country’s Environment Minister, Norbert Röttgen. The action plan is for a binding target for renewable energy to take an 18 per cent share of gross final energy consumption by 2020. Röttgen expects a share of 20 per cent to be achieved. This share is currently 10 per cent.

Röttgen said: “The road to the renewables era is ambitious and technically demanding. We need a significant increase in energy efficiency if we are to reach our goals. Additionally, electricity grids and storage capacities need to be expanded in view of the expected increase in offshore wind energy and growing electricity trade.” An attractive feed-in tariff, under which owners are paid for producing renewable electricity, has helped propel Germany’s rise in generating green energy.

The action plan stipulates a 15.5 per cent share for renewable energy in the heating and cooling sector, a 38.6 per cent share in electricity generation, and a 13.2 per cent share in transport. The action plan lists in detail existing and future measures, instruments and policies to promote the use of renewable energy.