Energiewende

Beyond Domestic Politics: Energy Policy in the Transatlantic Relationship

On June 18, Philipp Rösler, Chairman of the FDP and German Minister of Economics and Technology, opened a visit to Washington, DC, with a speech on the three issues at the core of the future of the transatlantic relationship: the ongoing European debt crisis, trade policy, and, perhaps surprisingly, energy policy. While… Read more >

Not in My Backyard: Communal Challenges to the Energiewende

In the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in 2011, pollsters consistently found that a majority of Germans supported the closing of Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants. The anti-atomic sentiment culminated in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s announcement of an Energiewende, energy transformation, which would shift Germany from nuclear to renewable energy. As the project… Read more >

Energy Security Risk Assessment: A Transatlantic Comparison

Despite facing similar challenges, the United States and Germany continually diverge in their creation of energy policy. Mr. Aki Kachi argues that Germany pursues risk-averse energy policy, citing the nation’s decision to phase out its nuclear power plants by 2022 and the Energiewende, a large-scale movement to develop renewable energy.  Conversely, U.S…. Read more >