Criticism and harsh words on Germany’s out-of-control renewable energy policy continues to mount and grow in volume as the energy sector approaches potential catastrophe.
Cologne’s online Kölner Stadt Anzeiger (KSta) here reports on a speech made by Germany’s former federal economics minister Wolfgang Clement on the subject of Germany’s green energy policy before the IGBCE-Angestelltengruppe Fortuna trade union group, which represents Germany’s once formidable mining, energy and chemicals sector. Clement earlier served as the country’s “super economics minister” under Gerhard Schroeder, from 2002–2005.
Energy policy “perversions”
The 76-year old socialist SPD party leader did not mince any words as he blasted Germany’s “perversions of its current energy policy” and “gigantic faulty developments” under the current government, led by Angela Merkel. What started as a reasonable shift over to renewable energies some 15 years ago has since morphed into a development that has totally run amok, the former federal minister described.
The current energy policy is marred by “unreasonableness and totally lacks basis” and is characteriszed by “a go-it-alone stoppage of nuclear energy” that he called “needless” because Germany faces no such catastrophe like the reactors at Fukushima.
“Capital destruction of difficult-to-fathom dimensions”
Clement told the audience “that with respect to cutting CO2 emissions, nuclear power in fact should be continued“, the online KStA writes. Later the former economics minister stated that the government got “carried away with the subsidies” for green energies. The KStA adds:
The ‘huge subsidies’ in the meantime cost consumers more than 23 billion euros annually’ and ‘especially lignite coal never needed such subsidies.'”
Clement blasted current energy policy for “putting climate protection too high above economy and supply stability” and that it is “a capital destruction of difficult-to-fathom dimensions” He added that “it would be unthinkable in any other country on the planet.“ The KStA writes that the former super minister hopes for a “transition away from the energy transition” and that Germany’s Rhineland industrial belt survives.
He called on the trade unions “to fight with all their strength“.
The KStA writes that Clement’s call was greeted with great applause.
Actually other countries have done the massive capital destruction: e.g. Spain, Denmark. Now the idiotic Democratic Party in USA plans to follow on the same ruinous path.
Not only capital destruction, the landscape and nature has been devastated in these countries too.
@PG: Don’t forget Sweden – we’re much ‘better’ at destructing capital, and as a matter of fact the whole society. In the last three years, only, we’ve lost ca 10% of our once very strong industry, to 90%+ due to our idiotic, totally incompetent politicians. Up to about two years ago, the ‘greens’ here held Germany as an example of good policy in terms of ‘Energiewende’, now they don’t want to talk a word about it. Wonder why…? 😉
The MSM in Canada and the USA likely will not cover this story. It is, however, an important person with an important message. Slowly but surely the fallacy of the climate scare/alternative energy is being undermined. The rush to get things done by the UN and leftists in Western nations is caused by their knowledge that the longer things go on, the less support they will have. The attempt to reduce the “critical” temperature to 1.5C from 2.0C was necessitated by the hiatus. A Trump win could end it all, but don’t hold your breath. We did elect an Obama equivalent in Canada, which will set back common sense for five more years. The debacles evolving in Ontario and Alberta, however, could cause major damage to the “cause”.
R2, the problem is, will it be in time? All that these neo-bolsheviks (which is what they are) really care about is gaining and holding absolute power – and they have no qualms about doing ANYTHING to reach that goal. If “the cause” is shown to have been nonsense, well, at that point all they’ll do is look at you and sneer, “Well, what are you going to DO about it?” (At that point, the only thing more scary than the disease is what it will take to effect the cure.)
This would be a good time for everyone who has never done so to read what I consider to be George Orwell’s best work – not his well-known (fictional) “1984”, but his (non-fiction) memoir of his time as a marxist volunteer during the Spanish civil war, “Homage to Catalonia.” Barely escaping with his life (from both the battlefield AND from the NKVD-run purges of “trotskyists”) sobered him up and cured his marxism. But he’s at his best when he describes his realization that in an Anglo-Saxon rule-of-law society you take it for granted that you can opt to just drop out, be apolitical, and be left alone – whereas in totalitarian systems you are compelled to not only participate, but to enthusiastically cheer on the “party line.”
Who would have thought green energy would be such a disaster?
Anyone with half a brain.
I’m not sure about the “unthinkable in any other country on the planet” bit.
The UK is doing its best to keep up!
Is clement urging a bun fight between the trade unions and the greens? Thapt should be fun to watch!
Renewables are beating coal in Installation capacity:
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/energiepolitik/iea-bericht-zahl-der-erneuerbaren-energietraeger-steigt-14497162.html
The fight with coal unions is real, because they have already lost that fight.
“Renewables are beating coal in Installation capacity:”
Sod, someone’s gotta bring the terrible news to you.
The nameplate capacity is a fraud.
They only produce 17% of that. On average. Most of the time: 0%.
Yes and ruining economies as a result. Capital being syphoned off to deploy unneeded, useless generation “capacity” that cannot replace any traditional generation with the bonus of raising electricity prices and destabilising grids to drive away industry and make residents miserable.
This is The Third Way
Sure, sod. Put up ONE coal plant that can run 24 / 7 / 365 and produce reliable, cheap energy.
Then put up 1000 wind turbines which can run at….. something or other, putting out……. something or other about as reliably as….. something or other.
What does Reality do to your ‘installation capacity’?
Wait- I already know you DON’T know and you DON’T care.
Apparently sod thinks coal is dead. He might want to check out the “Hockey Stick” graph here:
http://www.mining.com/chart-coking-coal-surge-kill-quarterly-pricing/
Well, that’s Peak Coal. The world is obviously running out of coal. Soros should get ThinkProgress and Stieglitz and Krugman on it.
[…] The KStA writes that Clement’s call was greeted with great applause. No Tricks Zone […]