European Union

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Scotland actually has a “Net Zero and Energy Minister,” Michael Matheson. Jane McLeod at the National writes that Matheson sees the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a wake-up call for Scotland to hit the accelerator regarding its green energy plans. Scotland already gets nearly 100% of […]

Batteries

Ukraine war pushes German homeowners’ demand for rooftop Solar, Batteries, in bid for Independence

Clean Energy Wire

By Paul Gordon | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – The war in Ukraine and the associated energy crisis are pushing homeowners in record numbers to install solar power systems and batteries, the German Solar Industry Association (BSW) has said. Following strong growth last year, the lobby group reports a further increase in demand […]

Germany

Could the G7 Wealthy Countries Really Boycott Russian Petroleum?

The Conversation

By Amy Myers Jaffe | – One option the U.S. and other nations have for ratcheting up pressure on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine is reducing their Russian energy purchases. U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss has proposed that the G7 nations – the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – […]

Climate Crisis

Climate-related damage to German forests ‘unprecedented’: German Aerospace Center

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have for the first time determined how much of Germany’s forests have been lost due to heat, drought and pest infestation using satellite-based Earth observation data. The results are alarming: From January 2018 through April 2021, tree […]

Batteries

Will Germany’s Pause of Russian Gas Pipeline over Ukraine Galvanize its Green Energy Switch?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Tuesday, Germany’s socialist Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, suspended the permitting process for the Nord Stream 2 methane gas pipeline that had been built to bring Siberian gas to Germany, over Russia’s declaration that two Ukrainian provinces were independent states. The $11 billion pipeline has already been constructed, but was awaiting […]

European Union

How to Avoid War: Why it is time for a Neutral, Demilitarized Eastern Europe

Arnold Oliver

Tiffin, Oh. (Special to Informed Comment) – Europe has been a flash point for war among both great and small powers for centuries. Conflicts beginning there have been known to spill over outside Europe, sometimes encompassing nearly the entire planet. These wars have unleashed untold human suffering and death, destroyed entire societies and produced campaigns […]

Germany

German State Plans Hundreds of Artificial Energy Islands to Deploy North Sea Wind

Clean Energy Wire

By Jessica Bateman | – The northernmost German state of Schleswig-Holstein has announced it wants to help push forward the energy transition by building artificial power islands in the North Sea, newspaper Die Zeit reported. Tobias Goldschmidt, the state’s energy secretary, said the energy produced on “hundreds” of offshore plants could be bundled and then […]

Climate Crisis

Germany’s Solar PV capacity, at 59 Gigs, overtakes its Onshore Wind, as it aims to triple Both

Clean Energy Wire

By Jessica Bateman and Benjamin Wehrmann | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – The total solar PV capacity in Germany has reached 59 gigawatts (GW) in 2021, overtaking the installed onshore wind power capacity in the country, according to the pv magazine. The cumulative installed wind power capacity reached slightly more than 56 GW […]

European Union

Despite the U.S. Hype about an “imminent” Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is not Ready to Risk War

Nikola Mikovic

Belgrade (Special to Informed Comment) – Russia seems to be giving up on the “ultimatum” it issued to the United States in December. After Washington and its allies said no to Moscow’s security demands, the Kremlin started to soften its rhetoric regarding a potential NATO expansion eastward. Western media, however, keep spreading rumors of an […]