GERMANY’S MERKEL RAISES THE BAR ON RENEWABLES

Talk about women bringing New Energy! Ever since President Bush gave her that back rub, she's been kicking A and taking names on behalf of clean, safe energy in Germany.

Merkel confronts energy industry with policy overhaul
Judy Dempsey, July 3, 2007 (International Herald Tribune)

WHO
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and Christian Democratic Unionist; Sigmar Gabriel, environment minister and Social Democrat; Annette Schavan, technology minister and conservative; Ulf Gerder, spokesman, German renewable energy association;
wind energy in Germany is literally expanding as fast as they can build and install turbines. solar is growing as fast. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
Merkel seeks to cut Germany’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40% by 2020. This is the most ambitious goal yet set. She will not back off her associated goal to phase out germany’s nuclear energy industry by 2020.

WHEN
- Announcement July 3 of plan through 2020.
- Merkel is up for re-election in 2009.

WHERE
Plan for Germany announced in Berlin.

WHY
- Merkel’s plan calls for 3%/year increases in efficiency and stronger conservation measures.
- Renewables now provide 9% of German energy.
- The plan, announced at an energy summit of big German electricity, natural gas and coal companies, disappointed nuclear advocates E.ON, Vattenfall Europe, RWE and Energie Baden-Württemberg.
- The policy is seen in Germany as a political move. Merkel is taking her conservative Christian Democratic Union party toward German Green party youth. Gabriel, environment minister, thinks German economic growth will provide for efficiency investment saving €50 billion ($68 billion). Technology minister Schavan foresees €1.5 billion in R & D projects for renewables expansion.
Not exactly a Roosevelt and Churchill moment. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Merkel: "This is about putting in place a long-term energy policy until 2020 for the environment that includes energy efficiency and energy security… We hope to have a decision on the road map next month…”
- Gerder: "We welcome the decisions made today…This shows a clear commitment by the government to energy efficiency…The nuclear energy plants do not have to be prolonged. Renewable energy, also in the form of combined heat and power plants, can compensate for the nuclear power plants."
- Vattenfall: "…the government's energy policy is an anti-energy policy."