http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/10/german-coal-fired-generation-of-electricity-falls-while-renewable-generation-rises

German Coal-Fired Generation of Electricity Falls While Renewable Generation Rises

By Paul Gipe, Contributor
October 4, 2012 | 9 Comments

German use of coal to generate electricity has declined steadily from 1990 to 2011, according to readily available statistics on the German electricity system. The percentage of coal-fired electricity in German electricity generation has fallen from 56.7% in 1990 to 43.5% last year — a decrease of more than 10% despite a increase in total electricity generation during the same period of about 10%. At the same time the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix has increased from 3.6% to 19.9%, mostly due to the rapid development of wind energy and biomass.

It's necessary to make this statement short and succinct because, if anyone has missed it, there's a presidential election campaign in full swing here in the USA. And with it is a full-on, no-holds-barred propaganda war against renewables.

Weekly — if not more often — a new broadside appears and makes the rounds of generally right-wing blogs and talk shows. The latest talking point is that Germany is burning more coal than ever because of all the intermittent renewables that have been added to the system.

So, let's have some fun with numbers and separate fact from fiction.

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http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/10/debate-continues-in-germany-over-cost-to-ratepayers-for-renewable-energy-incentives

Debate Continues in Germany over Cost to Ratepayers for Renewable Energy Incentives

By Stefan Nicola and Tino Andresen, Bloomberg
October 12, 2012 | 4 Comments

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Support for shutting nuclear plants remains high, a TNS Emnid poll for N24 television showed yesterday. While 69 percent of voters said they’re behind the plan even with power prices rising, 81 percent said they expect the government to help alleviate the rising costs. TNS Emnid surveyed 1,000 people on Oct. 10. No margin of error was given.

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The debate over power prices is short-sighted because Germany will save 570 billion euros by 2050 if it scraps nuclear plants, the Renewable Energy Research Association, a group of clean-energy research institutes, said on Oct. 10.

“The investments made now, at the beginning, will pay off within a foreseeable time frame and have a positive economic impact,” the group said.

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