A Mere Breeze: Era of Fast Growth Ends for Wind Energy in Europe

[sysop]

The debt crisis is finally catching up with wind energy, once a fast-growing sector in Europe. After more than a decade of double-digit growth, austerity, rapidly changing energy policies and skittish investors are putting a damper on the industry.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...-a-882357.html

[powermeerkat]

Wind, hydro, solar, etc. can never supply enough power for any cuontry's industry.

Angela Merkel, by reversing herself for political expediency, shot hersef in the foot by promising to shut down Germany's atomic power plants.

Thus making her country even more vulnerable to KGB gen. Putin's economic blackmail.

[JvanDorp]

Of this $500 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, $400 billion is given in oil producing countries in the form of subsidized fuel for the own (poor) population. Should this really be called a subsidy? From the point of view of the population of the oil producing country, the fuel they buy is simply priced according to the cost of production. Why should they have to pay the (international) market price? The oil came from their own country.

Actual fossil fuel (producer) subsidies are closer to $100 billion per year, and this should be compared to the roughly $300 billion in tax-revenues on fossil fuel consumption. The net subsidy for fossil fuels is therefore negative. In otherwords: fossil fuels are not subsidised.

[meerwind7]

Germany had cut subsidies to new solar plants to a large extent mid-2012, probably leading to a market collapse of about 50% in MW and more than 50% in terms of Euro.
German lawmakers had later in 2012 also cut growth prospects for offshore wind energy by abolishing their right for grid connection.

Spiegel: "The German environment minister's own plan would not change the guaranteed price for energy produced on wind farms that have already been built." Sorry, but the plan currently includes a small reduction for all existing renewables. I do not believe this will come through, but harder time for wind is to be expected anyhow.

After having settled the conflict about nuclear power (or rather have it postponed to 2021-2022, to be precise), the governments seem to believe there is little to loose from such approach.