Sustainable energy sources such as wind and solar are important for countries as well as the planet. They improve efficiency, can reduce weather-related blackouts, and they also help a country’s independence by allowing it to rely on itself for energy.
Germany announced Monday that its goal is to be off fossil fuels before 2040 and to be using only renewable energy by 2035.
The European country has been under pressure from its neighbors to reduce its reliance on foreign oil, which is difficult with its existing plans to phase out both coal-powered and nuclear power plants.
Now, though, Germany has announced an amendment to its Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and is confident that wind and solar can provide for the country’s energy needs. Its wind energy production alone could provide as much energy as that of 10 nuclear power plants, with onshore wind farms producing 110 gigawatts and offshore wind farms producing 30 gigawatts. Germany also plans on tripling its solar energy output, being able to produce up to 200 gigawatts.
Christian Lindner, the German Finance Minister, called renewable energy resources “the energy of freedom.”
With Europe’s biggest economy aiming to go green ahead of schedule, the rest of Europe may soon readjust its own ambitions to adapt to climate change.
