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A Challenging Equation

Europe has set the course by requiring the Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. But that is probably easier said than done. The financial cost of the Energy Transition will be extremely high. The term "Energiewende" in German means "Energy Turnaround". Germany's last nuclear plant is to be switched off in 2022. The share of renewable energy from sun, wind or biomass would rise to 80% of electricity production, and 60% of overall energy use by 2050. And emissions of greenhouse gases are supposed to fall by 90% also by 2050. The aim is ambitious and the figures are impressive. But this subsidy is also very costly for the consumer. It is a fact that in Germany the closure of almost a half of the nuclear power stations resulted in a 13% increase of the average household's electricity bill which in concrete terms means an amount of € 260 more per year. And a total cost of € 16 billion for 2013 dedicated to renewable energies. To take the example of another major economy in Europe, the development of renewable energies in France could reach an annual cost of € 7.5 billion. To return to Germany, there is a paradox about this "Energiewende" that must be accepted. This new policy will first have negative impacts on the environment.Yet, to make this transition possible, the german coal plants which are sources of a huge pollution are all developing. The priority is to cope with the expected decrease in production of nuclear electricity. And the reality is that the "Energiewende" has so far increased emissions of greenhouse gases! The energy transition is very appealing. But it requires massive investment that should ultimately benefit the populations, particularly in terms of public health, but also generate new jobs. But above all these energy transition processes can be expected to impact positively on the quality of the environment and climate change.

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