The German power generation structure is characterized by a widely diversified energy mix. In 2008, gross power generation was supplied as follows: coal - 47.3% (within this, lignite, domestic - 24.5% and hard coal, imported - 22.8%), nuclear - 22.1%, natural gas - 11.7%, hydro - 4.3%, wind energy - 6.2% and other energy sources - 7.1%. Oil contributed 1.3 % to power generation. This means that hard coal and lignite, as well as nuclear energy, are the mainstays of the German power industry.

(Source; German energy industry association BDEW in Berlin. The figures allow for rounding errors. Compiled by Vera Eckert and Madeline Chambers)

If it takes one of Europe’s mightiest economic powerhouses fifteen years and bucket loads of cheap Euro subsidies, to build wind farm fleets that only produce 6.2% of their energy, how long will it take Australia Mr. Brown?

And they are still burning lignite at 24.5% and hard coal at 22.8%?

Angela M now says the nuclear fleet will be phased out by 2022? At their current 10% energy growth rate that 22% nuclear replacement from renewables will be nearer 30%, not to mention the “spinning backup” that wind farms need. More East German Lignite I guess?

There’s also an article in the Telegraph business section last week about Scottish and Southern Energy selling more of its wind farm fleet to France to raise money to build more wind farms, this is because the European “green capital funding” mechanisms have collapsed.

If anyone can make sense of these numbers and timeframes, you’re a better man than me Gungadin!

When are we going to recognize this Euro-madness for what it is and stop trying to follow?

No body believes that Germany has a snowball's chance in hell of building sufficient renewable generation to replace nuclear by 2022. Either the vast majority will be bought in, the coal and gas generation will be ramped up, or simply the pledge ditched once the public realises the massive costs of such silly greens ideology.

This should be a lesson to the Australian public of the consequences of the greens being able to flex power.

This is typical of European politics.

The experience of the Euro should be taken as the perfect example. A bunch of self-important politicians get together and design a currency that, from the outset, is logically unworkable. The idea that sovereign entities should straitjacket themselves into a pegged exchange rate and restricted interest-rate regime is itself nonsensical without political cohesion. To this needs be added that fact that to join the team, you had to demonstrate "a budget deficit of less than three per cent of their GDP, a debt ratio of less than sixty per cent of GDP, low inflation, and interest rates close to the EU average"

It has become abundantly clear that these criteria were widely ignored, with the predictable results that we are witnessing today. I have absolutely no doubt that the same lip-service is being paid today to emission "targets".

Why anybody is remotely surprised, is itself surprising.

the..'closing down'..of nukepower..is a decade away
[things will change much in that time]

[dont take the 'promises made'..to 'phase it out seriously

who knows pole shifts do happen...
p-lus..[why arnt the germans HEADLINE getting/lying
[just like our own juliar?]

heard the latest 'joke'

i must note the exclusion of 'fuel'
from the 1000...[alone...lol..]..who must be paying..the big new tax

is it only 800 now [ie big poluters]..who 'will pay'?

so the big poluting transport mining agri'culture'...
are asured their 'petro'/polution...lol...wont be taxed

its turning into a typical july ju-LIAR spin
what her next disaster?

how is the sacking of the WHOLE coal industry..
going to create 'jobs'

are they and the transport mobs
not going to KEEP ON RECIEVING..their 12 billion fuel subsidies
on top of not getting a tax on their petro polution

will gas and heating oil also be excluded
[watch..that will be taxed...yet the kero..
of the airline INdust-try..as 'fuel'...wont be taxated?

its getting more messy ju-liar
go clean up your room

and clean up your act

we had enough of the drooling greenies
and the dribbling privateers
at media grab's...they keep nibbling

and where to get the others...now exluded
to keep the.."only 1000 lol
*will/must...may? pay"..

ie keep the media spin/lies...lie going
long enough to collect their generouse pensions
[for less than 100 working days....sitting down...listening]

then voting

as the party machine whiff/whimp..[whip]..
tells them to vote
the party line

yep i question the blooming lot of em
politrical polution..[politrickian]
the representantion you got
when your not represented

Firstly, A. Merkel is the German Chancellor and a world leader; you direspectful overpaid underworked genx/y desk jockeys can address her as such. Secondly, I detect a note of fear that the good times may be coming to an end. Fear is good if it means replacing the inane, self absorbed diatribe of nonsense that passes for informed opinion in the media. Germany has announced the end of the nuclear industry as the main supplier of energy going into the future.The only good thing to come out of the Fukushima meltdown was the wake up call that nuclear power isn't safe and that the men in charge (Tepco)are somewhere between plain dumb and insane. Renewables are the future.The only reason we are subjected to the apologist pro-coal line here in Australia is the vested interest of the global coal mining companies and the equally corrupt coal mining unions. More men somewhere bewteen plain dumb and insane. You genx/ys will get to be in a war; the war on overconsumption and greed.

Hestia

I agree with your comment for the most part, but suspect your 'audience' is made up of Baby Boomers. Sad but true.