Recently I was talking to an ally about Germany’s experiment with solar and wind–and how it’s almost universally misrepresented.
Then an organization expressed interest in a speech on Germany’s experiment with solar and wind. I’ve written about the German experiment and my team has deep expertise on the issue (Steffen Henne, our main researcher, has not only studied the data but lived through the policies) but I’ve never spoken about it. But upon reflection, a lot of audiences could benefit from knowing the truth about Germany. So my team and I put together a talk. Here’s a summary.
Germany’s Failed Experiment: How Unreliable “Renewable” Energy Is Bringing Energy Poverty to the West
Germany is often cited as the world’s first “renewable energy economy,” and proof that solar and wind are on track to replace fossil fuels as the world’s leading energy source. In this speech, Alex Epstein explains why Germany is the best example of why unreliable energy from solar and wind cannot come close to replacing reliable sources of energy for the foreseeable future. You’ll learn:
- how, despite talk of its enormous solar and wind “capacity,” Germany gets less than 4 percent of its energy from solar and wind
- how the price of electricity has more than doubled since Germany began its push for renewable energy
- how Germany has had to temporarily shut down businesses when unreliable sources of energy can’t supply enough power
- why Germans can look forward to spending billions more euros each year to stabilize their grid thanks to the impact of unreliable energy
In addition to presenting the little-known facts about Germany’s failed experiment, Epstein exposes the flawed thinking that led to the failure. Armed with this knowledge, attendees will be able to advocate effectively for affordable, reliable energy policies–and avoid Germany’s disastrous mistakes.
Let me know if you’re interested in learning more about the Germany situation and I’ll elaborate in future newsletters. And yes, Germany gets less than 4% of its energy from solar and wind. It’s not a typo.