Germany is racing past 20 percent renewable energy on its electricity grid, but news stories stridently warn that this new wind and solar power is costing “billions.” But as John Farrell shows, what is often left out (or buried far from the lede) is the overwhelming popularity of the country’s relentless focus on energy change (energiewende).
Renewable energy journalist Osha Gray Davidson recently released a book called Clean Break, detailing the German Energiewende (translation: energy change). John Farrell points out how the book essentially tells a societal story of how Germans systematically shift to clean energy.
Why has solar power been so successful in a not very sun-blessed industrial country like Germany? John Farrell shares the main secret of the success of the German Energiewende: Democratization of power generation.
