In 2000, Germany committed to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. To achieve this ambitious goal, Germany planned to increase its use of renewable power sources and to take advantage of the country’s most commercially-viable source of carbon dioxide-free energy—nuclear power. But despite Germany’s goals a decade ago, they are now building coal-fired electricity generation and shuttering nuclear power plants. Germany has apparently realized two important lessons—coal provides low-cost, reliable electricity and switching to renewables is wildly expensive.
