Fracking may divide the U.S. and Germany in how much shale gas is captured. But many other European countries (e.g., Poland) have embraced the U.S. approach in a more holistic cost-benefit analysis. How you account for costs and benefits makes all the difference here.

And yes, energy has entered politics as well. Just as nuclear energy had featured in German election cycles, so does gas and oil exploration feature in U.S. polls.

My take is that there is less than meets the eye in comparing Germany and the U.S. in energy issues: local political and social pressures dictate how energy is generated, how it is distributed and priced, and how it is regulated. In the end, both societies will get what their voters tells politicians that they want.