A plan to power Germany entirely on renewable energy is Chancellor Angela Merkel's "most ambitious domestic project". But rising costs to the state, businesses and consumers are straining support for the $735 billion effort.
Two years into a multi-decade effort to shift Germany entirely to renewable energy sources, "problems in execution" are eroding support for "one of the most sweeping energy transformation efforts undertaken by an industrialized country," report Melissa Eddy and Stanley Reed.
"German families are being hit by rapidly increasing electricity rates, to the point where growing numbers of them can no longer afford to pay the bill. Businesses are more and more worried that their energy costs will put them at a disadvantage to competitors in nations with lower energy costs, and some energy-intensive industries have begun to shun the country because they fear steeper costs ahead."
"Newly constructed offshore wind farms churn unconnected to an energy grid still in need of expansion," they add. "And despite all the costs, carbon emissions actually rose last year as reserve coal-burning plants were fired up to close gaps in energy supplies."
In light of the troubles Germany has had with its “Energiewende” (or “energy revolution”), Stan Alcorn suggests the United States would be wise to look elsewhere (Sweden, in particular) for guidance in developing a carbon-neutral economy.
FULL STORY: Germany’s Effort at Clean Energy Proves Complex

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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