Germany’s policy of transitioning to renewable energy, called Energiewende, and phasing out nuclear power due to Japan’s nuclear accident resulting from a tsunami has caused the country to increase its coal consumption. The country burned more coal in 2013 than it did five years ago and will likely miss its greenhouse gas emission targets in 2020 because its carbon dioxide emissions are increasing. Germany generated 45 percent of its electricity in 2013 from coal, its highest level since 2007, to back-up its intermittent renewable technologies and to provide reliable baseload power.[1]
