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The German Energiewende is here to stay. Started in the 1990s, it is a long-term energy and climate strategy reaching as far forward as 2050.
It enjoys broad public support and is driven by four main political objectives: combatting climate change, avoiding nuclear risks, improving energy security, and guaranteeing competitiveness and growth.
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Wind energy and solar PV are the backbone of the German Energiewende and flexibility is the new paradigm of the power sector.
Wind and solar energy are now cost-competitive with conventional energy sources for new investments. These technologies, however, impact power systems, making increased system flexibility crucial. Fossil power plants currently deliver the needed flexibility; increasingly other options (demand side management, storage,… ) will become more important.
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The Energiewende requires a structural change in the German energy sector, bringing new challenges and opportunities.
Given the transformative nature of the Energiewende, investment, growth, and employment are shifting towards new low-carbon sectors. Renewable energy and energy efficiency are providing several hundred thousand jobs, while jobs in the nuclear and coal sectors are declining. A broad consensus on the phasing out of coal is needed to accompany this restructuring process.
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The transformation of the power systems toward renewable energy is not only taking place in Germany but worldwide.
In 2014, for the third year running, worldwide investment in new renewable capacity exceeded investment in fossil-fuel power. Many other countries in Europe and beyond have set ambitious renewable energy targets. The challenges faced by Germany are therefore a preview of what is likely to occur in several other countries in the medium to long-term.
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