I absolutely wasn't going to post/link this story [if the link is broken, it's a Bloomberg article on whether the US can emulate Germany's renewable energy "success] because .... because ... well, the reporter failed to talk about Germany's return to coal..... but some things, like burrs under one's saddle just have to be dealt with. So, let's see what the German mainstream media has to say, the inconvenient truth the Bloomberg editor failed to mention:
Germany's switch to renewable energies is driving up electricity bills across the country, with a green technology surcharge set to rise by nearly 50 percent next year [this is on top of green energy taxes already in place]. With frustration over the high price tag, it promises to become a key issue in next year's election campaign.
Germany's four leading electrical grid operators -- RWE, E.ON, Vattenfall and EnBW -- announced on Monday that they would be hiking by 47 percent the charge to consumers that goes into financing subsidies for producers of renewable energy. For the time being, solar, wind and biomass power make up a quarter of the country's electricity supply but are set to account for 80 percent by 2050. [The Germans are switching to coal in lieu of nuclear due to Japanese nuclear debacle; the demand for electricity will increase significantly by 2050, assuming Germany continues to be an exporter, so requirement for renewables will also increase.]
Germany's status as a global leader in clean energy technology has often been attributed to the population's willingness to pay a surcharge on power bills [industry is exempt -- see linked article].
But now that surcharge for renewable energy is to rise to 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2013 from 3.6 in 2012. For an average three-person household using 3,500 kWh a year, the 47 percent increase amounts to an extra €185 on the annual electricity bill.This if from Germany's most popular magazine, Der Spiegel. Just think, the US can strive to emulate Germany's renewable energy "success."
The 5.5 cent + 3.6 cent --> 9.1 cents. That's just the surcharge.
North Dakotan pay about 10 cents/kwh. In 2010, North Dakotans paid about 7.5 cents/kwh; Californians about 14.5 cents/kwh. The price of electricity in Germany (before new surcharge) is 31.5 cents. Add the 5.5 cents --> 37 cents/kwh, which is exactly what the Hawaiians pay for their electricity. For the rest of the US, the range is 7 to 14 cents. From wikipedia.
