Researchers uncover significant energy market shift in recent study: 'Shows what consistent policy can achieve'
A recent study revealed that Germany's renewable energy investments are already paying off.
As PV Magazine reported, 80-90% of operational unit subsidies associated with the Renewable Energy Sources Act have already been paid. The researchers at Brandenburg University of Technology also found that onshore and offshore wind and ground-mounted photovoltaic installation costs have significantly improved and are now competitive.
The researchers published their findings in Energy Policy to share what they learned about renewable energy unit subsidies in Germany.
Their quantitative insights assessed subsidies based on feed-in tariffs, capacity in megawatts, average unit size, and the number of renewable units. The European Energy Exchange and other academic, institutional, and commercial sources provided data about electricity futures.
The researchers' findings confirm the competitiveness of today's energy market and renewable energy fleets. Net support costs for renewable energy have been high in past years, so this news is encouraging for the future of clean, green energy.
The researchers stated that "most net subsidies have already been paid" and that "in combination with battery storage, solar power will help the energy transition tremendously."
However, they concluded that expanding wind power and ground-mounted PV should be the top priorities because they are the most cost-effective technologies. They're researching how to integrate more solar capacity and handle degrading PV modules.
They recommended "streamlining the permitting process for RES projects and increasing community acceptance and deployment of flexibility technologies."
This research from Germany is encouraging because it demonstrates how the world is moving toward more sustainable economies, providing investment and growth opportunities for individuals and communities.
These researchers chose to study Germany because it sets a positive example of early renewable energy leadership. Germany has a track record of investment in clean energy and has ample quantitative information about those investments.
Will America someday get all its energy from renewable sources?
Yes — very soon
Yes — by 2050
Yes — by 2070
Probably never
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Worldwide, sustainability-focused companies are proving that they are worth the investment and that technologies are good for the planet and business. Clean energy projects promise high profit potential, create jobs, and make economies more resilient to extreme weather events.
Meanwhile, other studies have revealed that dirty energy stocks are sharply declining and that investing in clean energy is a step in the right direction. Investing in clean energy stocks puts your money where your values are and helps fuel sustainability transitions.
In response to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, one social media user commented, "Germany's renewables success shows what consistent policy can achieve."
"We have the solutions; let's speed it up and implement them," another user wrote.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
GOP is on verge of sweeping victory in bid to gut clean energy economy
Congressional Republicans are poised to reverse course on U.S. energy policy by wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and incentives for solar and wind projects as well as for consumers seeking to purchase everything from energy-saving appliances to electric cars. The Senate's latest draft of the tax bill released overnight Friday contains strict green energy cutbacks that disappointed lobbyists for solar, wind and battery companies, who hoped senators would temper some of the House's most draconian cuts. It also imposes a new tax on existing wind and solar farms if they include materials from a foreign entity like China — a huge blow for the renewables industry, which still incorporates many materials from China across its supply chain.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
White House pushes "big, beautiful bill" as GOP faces roadblocks in Senate
Washington — The White House made a push for the centerpiece legislation of President Trump's second term, hosting a "One, Big, Beautiful Event" on Thursday highlighting the bill amid intraparty disagreements and roadblocks in the Senate as lawmakers near a Fourth of July deadline. After the House narrowly approved the legislation that addresses the president's tax, defense, border and energy priorities last month, Senate GOP leaders are working to pass the bill in the upper chamber. The bill would then be sent back to the House to approve the changes before it can reach Mr. Trump's desk for his signature. But the self-imposed July 4 deadline looms large over the effort, with key disagreements remaining. With an array of working-class Americans standing behind him, from farmers to electrical workers, the president claimed the bill would lower Americans' tax burdens, make permanent his first administration's tax cuts and eliminate taxes on tips. "This is the ultimate codification of our agenda to — very simply, a phrase that's been used pretty well by me over the past 10 years, but maybe even before that — make America great again," Mr. Trump said in the White House East Room. He also called the legislation the "single-most important piece of border legislation ever to cross the floor of Congress," pointing to the bill's pledge to hire thousands of new border patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The president reiterated his administration's goal of deporting at least 1 million undocumented immigrants every year. It was Tom Homan, Mr. Trump's border czar, who had the strongest words for Congress at the White House, saying he's tired of meeting parents whose children have been killed by someone in the country illegally, or parents whose children have been killed by drugs brought into the country. "What the hell is the matter with everybody up in Congress? People are dying every day. … Pass the bill so we can make this country safe." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt met with House Republicans on the conservative Republican Study Committee on Wednesday and told reporters that the administration is working to "make sure everyone understands this bill needs to be back on the president's desk by July 4." "The White House and the president have been consistently engaged in this process since the very beginning, both on the House side and on the Senate side," Leavitt said, adding that Mr. Trump "is always willing to make calls, and we're going to get this bill done." But as the deadline approaches, Republicans in Congress have squabbled over key provisions in the legislation, like Medicaid restrictions used to pay for the bill's new spending. Shortly before the president's afternoon event, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he's asking Congress to remove a tax provision that targets dividends, royalties, interest and business profits earned by individuals and institutions abroad. Complying with Bessent's request would make the legislation more expensive. Senate Republicans have proposed steeper cuts to Medicaid funding in part by lowering provider taxes — which states use to help fund their share of Medicaid costs — from 6% to 3.5% by 2031. The House sought to lower federal costs by freezing states' provider taxes at current rates and prohibiting them from establishing new provider taxes. The Senate's move has sparked pushback, and threatened to complicate the delicate balance reached in the House. Then on Thursday morning, Senate Democrats on the Budget Committee announced that the provider tax plan was among a handful of key provisions that the Senate's rulekeeper had determined would violate what's known as the Byrd Rule, which requires that the legislation only include provisions that have a direct impact on federal spending. The parliamentarian's rulings Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has been examining the legislation to determine whether any provisions violate Senate rules. Any that are in violation are subject to a 60-vote threshold, rather than the simple majority required under the reconciliation process. Senate Democrats said the parliamentarian also weighed in on a measure cutting federal funds to states that use Medicaid infrastructure to provide health care coverage to undocumented immigrants, along with banning Medicaid from covering gender transition services. The announcement on the rulings came days after the parliamentarian determined that Republicans can't include language that would make it harder to challenge the government's actions in court, along with a section barring immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The parliamentarian also rejected a proposal that would have sold off millions of acres of public lands. She struck provisions regarding the sale of electric vehicles used by the U.S. Postal Service and several immigration-related measures, including limiting certain funding for "sanctuary cities" and allowing states to conduct border security and immigration enforcement. Senate Republicans are working to bring some of the measures into compliance with the parliamentarian's rulings; her deliberations on other parts of the legislation are ongoing. GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana called the parliamentarian's decision on the provider tax a "setback," adding that Senate Republicans would decide whether to rewrite the details of the provision to comply with the Byrd Rule — or move forward without the provider tax. The move sparked pushback among some congressional Republicans. Rep. Greg Steube, a Florida Republican, said Vice President JD Vance, the president of the Senate, should overrule the parliamentarian. And GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama said she should be fired. Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, told reporters Thursday that the parliamentarian's ruling was "pretty frustrating." But he said he's "optimistic that we can come up with ways to make sure we fulfill the Trump agenda and also have fiscal sanity." And Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said he expected the conference would try to retool the provision. Although he doesn't agree with the ruling, Graham said he has "no intention of overruling her." Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who was asked about the possibility of overruling the parliamentarian earlier this month, said "we're not going there." But Thune faced difficulties even before the rulekeeper's decisions, as he worked to keep his conference together on the massive legislation. On Wednesday, he told reporters, "We're working with all of our members to try to get people comfortable with the bill." With a 53-seat majority, Senate GOP leaders can afford to lose just three Republicans on the bill, with all Democrats expected to oppose. Thune said earlier in the week that "when push comes to shove, you're looking at whether or not you're going to allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.""You have to recognize that this is a process whereby everybody doesn't get everything they want," Thune said. "But I think we've produced a bill working with the House, working with the White House, that will get the requisite number of Republican senators to vote for it so that we can pass it." Hegseth slams Iran strikes initial assessment that contradicts Trump's take Young Cuban girl asks Trump to lift travel ban stopping her from joining mom in U.S. Trump accuses Democrats of leaking Iran nuclear intel report, says "they should be prosecuted"
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Bloomberg
Battery CEO Says US Senate's Clean Energy Bill Is ‘Workable'
Battery storage company Fluence Energy Inc. said it can work with US Senate Republicans' latest version of President Donald Trump's fiscal package, which would preserve tax credits for the industry while gutting incentives for wind and solar power. The rules coming out of the Senate bill are 'workable,' Fluence Chief Executive Officer Julian Nebreda said in an interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York. 'We believe that they are something that we can support.' About 50% of the company's business is in the US, he said.
