The Vision of 100% Renewable Energy (2)

This is the 2^nd blog following up on Gaba’s event "The Vision of 100% Renewable Energy - commemorating Hermann Scheer" summarizing thoughts from Hermann’s last book. And, with Fukushima as a catalyst for the transformation of Germany’s energy system, his thoughts have gained even more actuality.

The big 4 German utilities are on defense, but will keep their general strategy: slowing down change forever. Together with their political supporters they will advocate gigantic projects like big offshore windparks in the Baltic Sea and huge transmission lines to southern Germany.

If they are successful, they will keep the central energy generation model and maintain control over energy generation and distribution. They also will be in charge of running those projects and make sure that they will be delayed. And, not a single kWh of renewable power will come from those projects until they are 100% completed.

But, we do not need those projects. Lifting the ban on wind energy in southern Germany and repowering old turbines alone would lead to 50% of all electricity in Germany coming from decentral wind alone (for calculation, see Scheer’s book).

PV, biomass and small hydro can supply another 10%, and 10% can be saved by increased efficiencies. 70% renewable until 2020.

Will the revolution happen at that pace? The policy decisions of the coming weeks are likely to have a huge impact. We can evaluate them by the number of players that they enable:

• The big 4 only, in offshore parks and transmission lines, which will not happen in this decade?
• Hundreds of small wind power developers, in areas opened up in southern Germany that so far blocked wind?

As Hermann Scheer pointed out: There is no win-win in moving to Renewable Energy. It can only be achieved if we face the conflict. Now is the time.