For the first time sector provides more than 200,000 jobs
The expansion of renewable energies in Germany is advancing at a faster rate than expected. Last year alone an increase of almost 13% was registered. In 2006, already 11.8% of electricity was generated through renewable energy sources. The target of the coalition agreement to increase the share of renewable energies in electricity generation to at least 12.5% by 2010 will be exceeded as early as 2007.
The EU Commission proposed laying down a binding target for the advancement of renewable energies in the EU up to 2020. As an average throughout the EU, 20% of primary energy should be generated from renewable energy sources by 2020. At the presentation of the industry's latest figures today in Berlin, Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said: "Not only do we support this target, we are also well on the way to making a significant contribution to it." Minister Gabriel also presented a pilot study drawn up by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) on the advancement of renewable energies which can be expected by the middle of this century.
According to the study, the share of renewable energies in primary energy in Germany can reach about 16% by 2020. "This means that the share of renewable energies in Germany is increasing faster than in other EU countries. This also means that we will be able to meet our ambitious climate protections targets while phasing out nuclear power. There will be no gap in electricity supply and therefore no reason to change our phase-out plans. The annual increase of renewable energies in the electricity sector alone about equals the annual output of a nuclear power plant in terms of figures" said Minister Gabriel.
The Federal Environment Minister in particular welcomes that the sector's growth is also reflected by a corresponding increase in employees: Last year alone about 24,000 new jobs were created. Approximately 214,000 people now work in the renewable energy sector. Minister Gabriel commented: "These figures underline that the support provided by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) made it possible to establish an innovative new industry in Germany."
Overview of latest figures:
| 2005 | 2006 | Coalition agreement target for Germany for 2010 | Coalition agreement target for Germany for 2020 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of renewable energies in EU-wide primary energy consumption | 6.3 % | rd. 6.5 % | 20 % (EU Commission proposal for EU average) | ||
| Share of renewable energies in Germany's primary energy consumption | 4.7 % | 5.3 % | 4.2 % | 10 % | 16 % (pilot study BMU) |
| Share of renewable energies in electricity supply | 10.4 % | 11.8 % | 12.5 % | 20 % | 27 % (pilot study BMU) |
With the share of renewable energies increasing, the issue of cost-effectiveness also gains importance. Minister Gabriel said: "We have to make sure that increasing prices for energy and electricity do not drive energy-intensive industries out of the country. And this is not the case. On the contrary: in only a few years electricity generation from wind power will be competitive to a large extent and be exempt from support pursuant to the EEG." This year, the Federal Environment Ministry will present a progress report. This will also entail reviewing in which sectors the feed-in tariffs will have to be adapted for economic reasons. In the medium term the aim is for all types of renewable energies to become competitive and support will be focused on particularly innovative and promising sectors.
Looking beyond 2020 the DLR study reveals that by 2030 the share of renewable energies can rise to 45% and to 77% in 2050. Based on this scenario, renewable energies may have a total share of about 50% in primary energy in Germany by 2050. If improved energy efficiency is included in the calculation, a CO2 reduction of 80% compared to 1990 can be reached by 2050. Minister Gabriel said "The study proves that by modernising our energy supply we can realise ambitious climate protection targets – even without nuclear energy".