The State of Germany’s Energy Transition
Channel: eesionline
Date: 11/06/2018

Learn more and download slides at http://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/060818germany

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Embassy of Germany held a briefing showcasing how Germany has been successfully integrating renewable energy into its electrical grid and decoupling energy demand from economic growth. Indeed, Germany's energy policies have led to the creation of new, technologically advanced industries and the addition of about 350,000 jobs. High-level representatives from the public and private sectors on both sides of the Atlantic discussed parallels between the German and American economies and how the United States may benefit from energy policies Germany has developed and implemented over the course of its nearly 20 year-long national Energiewende ("energy transition") program.

Thorsten Herdan
Director-General, Energy Policy, Heating and Efficiency, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Thorsten_Herdan_060818.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/A7ksJGl6iOo?t=5m26s

Lisa Jacobson
President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Lisa_Jacobson_060818.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/A7ksJGl6iOo?t=27m

Todd Thurlow
Senior Business Development Director, Distributed Energy Systems, Siemens
Download Slides: http://www.eesi.org/files/Todd_Thurlow_060818.pdf
Skip to presentation: https://youtu.be/A7ksJGl6iOo?t=42m6s

Question & Answer Session: https://youtu.be/A7ksJGl6iOo?t=52m55s

Germany has experienced a tremendous increase in its renewable energy generating capacity, from roughly six percent in 2000 to more than 35 percent today. The current German Government remains determined to pursue a path toward an even greater renewable energy share, with a goal of deriving 65 percent of the country's electricity from renewables by 2030. The growth of the offshore wind industry is the transition's most recent development, with the North Sea now home to the largest cluster of wind turbines in the world. The energy transition has been paired with innovations in efficiency and electricity usage practices, resulting in a nearly eight percent decrease in energy consumption between 2008 and 2018 while the economy grew by 14.8% at the same time.

Although power generated from sustainable sources was initially more expensive than power generated from fossil fuels, sparking ongoing political debates, German industries have continued to thrive.