According to Amory Lovins, “Japan has twice the per-hectare high-quality renewable potential of North America, three times that of Europe, and nine times that of Germany.” Japan is currently #4 in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI). There is a large untapped geothermal potential. By the end of 2013 wind energy was feeding2.6 GW to the grid, but the real leader of the renewable sector was solar. There was 13.5 GW of solar capacity. Now the future of Japan’s solar industry is uncertain.
American critics of Energiewende regularly announce its approaching demise. A hypocritical article in the Wallstreet Journal announced that Germany will spend €1 trillion on its’ renewable energy experiment by 2040, without mentioning that a large portion of that money was for electric grid upgrades that would be needed anyway. Nor did the author disclose the fact an even larger sum (€90 billion a year) would have gone to fossil fuels. Similarly, Forbesmocked Germany’s slight rise in CO2 levels, without mentioning they are already 23% lower than the 1990 benchmark set by the Kyoto Accord. (The author’s country, the US, is still 5% above that target.) Their carping does not explain how Germany became Europe’s powerhouse and the fourth largest economy in the World. Nor does it do justice to the nation the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) ranks #3for renewable investments. Energiewende will succeed because it is embraced by the German people.
There is no modern parallel for the pace of Chinese development. Economically speaking, China was a third world nation only decades ago. Now it has surpassed the US and enters 2015 as the World’s leading economyand biggest polluter. The other face of Chinese development is that it also leads the World in the development of renewable energy.
Though the Netherland’s EV sales are picking up, Fastned’s co- founder & CEO Michiel Langezaal does think they will reach the national goal of 200,000 electric cars on the road by 2020. According to Michiel this number includes not only fully electric cars, but also the Hybrids.There are still parts of the country that are beyond the reach of EVs with a 100 kilometers per charge range. Around 85% of the population do not have their own parking spaces. Yet Fastned’s co- founder & CEO Michiel Langezaal says the EV tipping point will arrive quickly.
If the stock market’s response is any indication, E.ON has the right idea. Shares are selling at a two year high. A little over two weeks ago the price was €12.948; yesterday’s closing sale was €15.055. On November 30, Germany’s largest utility announced that it will split into two parts. A new company will be formed to take over conventional energy sources, allowing E.ON to focus on the new energy world.
