The German economic and industrial development in the nineteenth and twentieth century was based (among other things) on coal. After World War II, the reconstruction of both German states, too, was largely organized around the coal and steel industry. Therefore, it is a particular challenge,...

The reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in particular CO2, is a major objective of the German energiewende. There has been broad consensus on this goal for many years now - in contrast to the continuing discussion over the proposed shutdown of Germany’s nuclear power plants. The...

Nuclear power has been a major topic of energy policy debate in Germany since the 1950s, and it was a key issue in all energiewende discussions. The March 2011 closure of seven nuclear power plants (the oldest in Germany) sparked an intense debate over the economic effects this might have,...

At least since the 1980 study on the energiewende by Krause et al. (Energie-Wende: Wachstum und Wohlstand ohne Erdöl und Uran. Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer), renewable energies have been considered a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels, and renewable energy technologies were seen...

A significant improvement in energy efficiency is crucial for the success of the energiewende. Energy efficiency plays an important role in reducing primary energy demand and fuel costs, and in many cases, it constitutes the least-cost option for GHG emissions reduction. Other benefits arise...

The infrastructure required to assure a reliable, clean, and economic electricity system is among the crucial conditions that have to be established for the energiewende to succeed. This chapter summarizes issues surrounding electricity transmission in the context of the energiewende. Even...

While the first phase of the energiewende, focusing on the electricity sector, was largely successful, the second phase needs to focus on all energy usage, especially heat, transportation, and usage as a raw material in the chemical industry. In that context, intensified "sector coupling" will...

The European Union has embarked on the transformation of its energy and electricity system to low-carbon energy sources, just like Germany and many other countries. This chapter analyzes the European strategy for low-carbon transformation in relation to specific aspects and features of the...

Both in the German energiewende and in the European low-carbon energy system transformation, infrastructure is generally considered as a conditio sine qua non: a necessary though not sufficient condition for a low-carbon economy - and one without which energy transformation may fail. At second...