Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Environment, other state ministries, German manufacturers, wind energy
interest groups, environmental associations, and large energy suppliers.
32
he goal of the foundation was to identify barriers to ofshore development
and smooth the development path.
Despite these emergent challenges, it was clear that wind power expansion
was desirable for economic and political reasons. According to an analysis
published by the German Ministry of Environment, wind power was respon-
sible for energy cost savings of about €5 billion dollars in 2006.
33
Moreover,
with nuclear power on the way out, progressive expansion of wind power
was deemed essential to facilitate the ambitious goals of Germany's Climate
Protection Program.
34
Consequently, in 2006, the federal government passed
an infrastructure planning acceleration law, which obliged network opera-
tors to assume the cost of connecting ofshore wind farms to the power grid.
However, the law enabled network operators to pass on these connection
costs to the consumers. herefore, in one fell swoop, this law stemmed the
uncertainty that was deterring investment in ofshore wind power develop-
ment and allayed lingering concerns on the part of network operators that
they would once again be responsible for the inancial burden of supporting
government wind power development initiatives.
35
he following year, the government advanced initiatives to shore up
its plan for expanding ofshore wind energy development. It announced
a plan to commit €34.6 million to new wind energy R&D initiatives, with
two-thirds of the allocation going to ofshore wind energy research.
36
In the
same year, it also signaled its resolve to bolster development by declaring
an intention to increase renewable energy in the power supply to 25%-30%
by 2020.
37
In December of the following year, an EU Renewable Energy Directive
(2009/28/EC) was published that estimated that renewable energy contri-
butions to electricity demand would need to reach approximately 35% by
2020 in order to achieve the overall EU energy objective of generating 20%
of primary energy with renewable energy by 2020.
38
Despite Germany's stel-
lar performance in facilitating wind power development, the directive made
it clear that Germany would still be challenged to live up to its obligations.
In the subsequent National Action Plan that was designed to support this
initiative, Germany announced new 2020 targets of 19.6% contribution
from renewable energy to total primary energy consumption and 38.6%
contribution of renewable energy to electricity consumption. If achieved,
Germany would exceed its binding target of 18% contribution from renew-
able energy to total primary energy consumption, originally mandated by
the directive.
39
