European Union

Number of Solar PV Panel Installations in Germany hits 3 Million, can cover 10% of Electricity Demand

By Jessica Bateman | – Clean Energy Wire / Bloomberg ( Clean Energy Wire ) – The number of solar panel systems in Germany hit three million on Monday (29 May), with total solar PV installed capacity reaching more than 70 gigawatts (GW), according to industry association BSW Solar. With this capacity, the country can […]

Authoritarianism

United Nations calls for Protection of Climate Activists’ Civil Disobedience after German Crackdown on ‘Last Generation’ as ‘Criminal’

Clean Energy Wire

By Sören Amelang | – dpa / Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The UN has highlighted the importance of climate activists and their right to hold demonstrations following a crackdown on a street-blocking group in Germany. “Climate activists – led by the moral voice of young people – have continued to pursue their goals even in the […]

Climate Crisis

Spain Runs entirely on Green Energy for 9 Hours for First time, in Harbinger of Green Future

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Spain, the world’s 15th largest economy and the fourth-largest in Europe, recently ran for 9 hours entirely on wind, solar and hydro. It is not the first time the renewables supplied all of the country’s domestic electricity needs on the peninsula, but it is the first time they did so […]

Geothermal

What can the West learn from Kenya about Geothermal Power?

Benjamin Wehrmann

Clean Energy Wire / ARD ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Kenya signaled its interest in becoming the first African nation in an international ‘climate club’ of countries agreeing on tighter climate action rules that was proposed by German chancellor Olaf Scholz. During a visit in early May by Scholz to the east African country, […]

European Union

The European Union is Struggling to Respond to Biden’s Subsidies for Green Energy

China Dialogue

By Anna Gumbau ( China Dialogue ) – After the economic crisis caused by Covid-19 and the energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European unity is being tested once again, this time by the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). When President Joe Biden signed the IRA into law in August 2022, European leaders […]

Climate Crisis

New wind turbine installations in Germany grow almost 50% in early 2023

Benjamin Wehrmann

Clean Energy Wire / Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Germany installed 128 new wind turbines with a total capacity of 0.6 gigawatts (GW) between January and April 2023, an increase in the growth rate of 46 percent compared to the same period in the year before, according to figures by the […]

European Union

European Union cancels ‘Europe Day’ Diplomatic Reception to Avoid Extremist Racist Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Chosen Representative

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Le Monde reports that a European Union diplomatic delegation to Tel Aviv announced Monday that it was canceling the diplomatic reception for Europe Day there because the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had selected far-right extremist Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben-Gvir to represent it. The site of the French […]

Climate Crisis

Germany overtakes Spain to become leading solar PV market in Europe

Clean Energy Wire

By Jessica Bateman | – Tagesspiegel Background ( Clean Energy Wire ) – An analysis of solar power markets in Europe has declared Germany the leading solar PV market in the region. According to the analysis conducted by Aurora Energy Research and reported in Tagesspiegel Background, strong political support and a large market have helped […]

Brazil

Lula is Right that the UN Security Council Can’t Resolve Major Conflicts, whether Ukraine or Palestine

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made a state visit to Portugal and Spain last week. He was primarily seeking trade agreements, and especially wished to prepare the way for agreement this summer on a huge European Union – Latin American free trade zone. Article continues after bonus IC […]