About: wind energy
German government defeats plan to abolish fines for wind power projects
The German government has rejected parliament proposals to ease restrictions on the construction of new wind turbines, exposing deep divisions in one of Europe's pioneering nations for renewable energies. EURACTIV Germany reports.
20 Years of Germany’s EEG: Clear unwillingness of the current government
Germany's energy transition or 'Energiewende', which came into force 20 years ago today, would not have been possible without the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). As a number of questions still remain unanswered, EURACTIV Germany talked to one of its architects.
European Commission to present offshore wind strategy in October
While the European Commission readies its new industrial strategy for Tuesday (10 March), it is also working on plans to promote wind farms at sea – an area where Berlin is keen to make quick progress. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Offshore wind boom ‘not enough’ to reach EU climate goals
A record 3.6 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity was added across Europe in 2019, but the pace of deployment is still too slow to reach Europe’s ambitious climate targets, according to new industry figures published on Thursday (6 February).
Power shift: EU coal output falls 24% in 2019
Global warming emissions from the power sector fell by 12% last year, led by a steep decline in coal power generation, which was replaced half by natural gas and half by renewables, according to fresh data published on Wednesday (5 February).
German wind industry chief: 2% of land area should be allocated to wind energy
In an interview with EURACTIV.de, the president of Germany's Wind Energy Association, Hermann Albers, speaks about the sector's struggles, suggesting to allocate 2% of the country's land for wind turbines.
Germany’s new coal phase-out plan: Lots of money, little climate ambition
An agreement reached in the early hours of Thursday (16 January) between the federal government and representatives of the four German coal states won't bring the country much closer to reaching its climate goals, analysts said.
Altmaier’s planned ‘turbine-free zones’ could halve Germany’s wind energy potential
Proposals to introduce a minimum distance of 1,000 metres between wind turbines and buildings have attracted fierce criticism from the German environment ministry, which said the draft new rules would derail the country's plan to boost renewable energy by 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘Green’ jobs see slight rise in Germany
In 2017, 263,883 people were employed in the environmental sector in Germany, which was about 12,600 more than in the previous year. Although this means that the amount of so-called "green jobs" saw a slight rise in Germany, the stagnating wind industry continues to hamper growth. EURACTIV Germany reports.
World’s second floating wind farm sets sail for Portugal
The first turbine from the WindFloat Atlantic project was successfully towed from Ferrol, Spain, towards its destination 20 km off the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal on Saturday (19 October), in what constitutes a world second for floating wind.
Wind power: What next for Europe?
Europe is the cradle of the wind energy industry and is still rightly perceived as a global leader in the sector. But fresh projects have slowed in recent years, pointing to new challenges for the EU’s wind energy sector in...
New Danish government puts climate change centre stage
Only a few days after the European Union failed to agree on 2050 carbon neutral climate target, Denmark’s Social Democrats and their three center-left allies agreed on Wednesday (26 June) on a political program that aims at promoting one of the most ambitious climate policies in the world.
Germany seeks to jolt its stalled wind industry with new offshore plan
Germany's wind sector is barely growing any more. To achieve its self-imposed 65% target for renewables, Germany has made the promise, for the first time, to heavily expand its offshore wind farms. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘Historic breakthrough’: Norway’s giant oil fund dives into renewables
Norway’s $1tn oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s oil fund selling off its last oil and gas assets. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
French wind energy ‘in limbo’ for more than a year
New wind energy projects in France have come to a standstill due to the government’s indecision over who should be responsible for delivering construction permits.
No decarbonisation without electrification
Decarbonising Europe’s economy means replacing fossil fuels by renewables wherever possible. And that implies getting much more renewable electricity into heating and transport, writes Giles Dickson.
China outshines Europe in 2017 clean power investment ranking
Solar power dominated a global ranking of new renewable energy investments “like never before” last year, with China accounting for more than half of the world’s new capacity, the UN said on Thursday (5 April). Investments in Europe, on the other hand, recorded a massive drop.
Germany solidifies top ranking in EU wind power league
Germany installed 42% of the EU’s new wind power capacity in 2017, a year that saw the industry installing more supplies than any other form of energy across the European Union, according to fresh industry statistics published on Tuesday (13 February).
EU Parliament wins plaudits for backing 35% renewables target
European lawmakers approved draft measures on Wednesday (17 January) to raise the share of renewable energy to 35% of the EU’s energy mix by 2030, setting the stage for tough talks with reluctant EU member states in the coming weeks.
WindEurope: ‘Consumers are still paying for yesterday’s renewables’
Wind turbines installed up to fifteen years ago required heavy state subsidies, usually in the form of feed-in tariffs, remarks Giles Dickson. But this is no longer the case, he says, urging governments to use market-based systems like auctions, which guarantee stable revenues.
Report: Nuclear power on the decline
Nuclear power seems on its way out, as construction of only one new nuclear reactor was undertaken in 2017, according to the World Nuclear Industry Report 2017. EURACTIV France reports.![CREDIT[h080/Flickr]](https://www.euractiv.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/09/solar_pannels_energy_efficiency_credith080flickr.jpeg)
Electricity markets reimagined: Flexible by design
In just over a decade, we will be able to build a new electricity system around renewable energy that is cleaner, produces almost no carbon emissions, costs less than a system built around natural gas, and is just as reliable, writes David Nelson.
Nuclear lobby boss: Winning back public opinion in Europe? An easy challenge
The best thing to do to win back public opinion in Europe and globally is to build reactors on time and on budget, Jean-Paul Poncelet told EURACTIV.sk at the European Nuclear Energy Forum in Bratislava.