Page 69 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2018 publication
P. 69
Winter 2018 European Energy Innovation 69
GERMANY ENERGY TRANSITION
towards a low carbon economy and the missing grid extension between Now, more than ever, the completion
has been discussed over years. the north of Germany, where most of of a true European internal energy
the renewable energy, mostly from market is the only way forward to
This decision has set Germany on wind, is produced and the south guarantee that Europe is contributing
a different path than the ones our of Germany, where an extensive its share towards a low carbon
European neighbours take. Europe amount of energy is needed. The shift future. Europe can only strive in
has not decided to phase out nuclear from fossil fuels and nuclear power accelerating the renewable uptake,
power - but Germany did! While the towards more renewable energy can provide security of supply and stay
nuclear phase out is a positive sign only succeed if the infrastructure economically competitive if the
towards a future that is secure and is there to support this shift. So far, internal market is working! l
environmentally friendly, it has put Germany’s grid is just not up for the
Germany in a tricky situation. We have task of making proper use of all the Prof. Dr. Angelika Niebler is
set ourselves a dual goal with the renewable power produced. New a Member of the European
energy transition: moving away from cross-country power connections are Parliament from Bavaria
fossil fuel-based energy generation to urgently needed but face enormous representing Upper Bavaria
a largely carbon-free energy sector, public resistance. and Munich since 1999. She
while also phasing out nuclear energy is Chairwoman of the CSU-
by 2022. In the year 2000 nuclear The Energiewende can only delegation and Co-Chairwoman
energy accounted for 29,5 per cent of exceed if there is progress with of the CDU/CSU-delegation.
the power generation mix, in 2016 the the grid extension. Keeping the Angelika Niebler is Member of the
share was down to 13 per cent and by grid stable with a high amount of Committee on Industry, Research
2022 all nuclear plants are supposed volatile renewables and inflexible and Energy and of the Committee
to be offline. conventional power generators in on Women's Rights and Gender
the systems costs our country close Equality as well as substitute
Most of Germany’s problems with the to one billion euro each year. With Member of the Committee on
energy transition today can therefore more nuclear power plants in the Legal Affairs.
be described as “home grown”. The south scheduled to shut down, even
consequences of which are partly more power from the north will be Since 2009, Angelika Niebler
absurd. With the massive expansion needed in the south of the country. If is Chairwoman of the Bavarian
of renewable energies, there are the bottlenecks cannot be resolved, Women’s Union and serves since
times in which Germany is flooding there is the risk that Germany will be 2015 as Party Vice-Chair of the
its neighbours’ energy systems split into two power-market bidding CSU. In November 2018 she
with its surplus energy due to grid zones. Additionally to the public was also elected President of
congestions. In times when it is very resistance of grid extensions, it is the Economic Advisory Council
sunny and windy, Germany’s energy also argued that existing capacities Bavaria. Since 1991, Professor
system cannot handle the additional can be utilised more efficiently by a Niebler has worked as a lawyer
energy produced, as conventional smarter automated system able to in different law firms in Munich
nuclear and fossil fuel plants cannot react to fluctuating renewable power (since 2015 of-counsel at Gibson
be shut down on short notice. The generation. Dunn & Crutcher). Since 2009,
cumulative amount is extending she has been lecturing at the
Germany’s energy need, which results The missing infrastructure is causing Faculty of Business Management
in unwanted surges of power through many clashes. The government is at the Munich University of
the networks of our neighbouring pushing for an expansion of the grid, Applied Sciences where she was
countries. citizens do not want them to be built appointed as Honorary Professor
near their homes and consumers in 2016.
The problem increases because of protest against higher energy bills.
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