There are so many counter-narratives in the media about the energy transition, that sometimes its true progress takes you by surprise. Getting rid of one-third of fossil fuel capacity in only two years is impressive.
I hope these 2035 goals are achievable. One in four new car sales in the EU are now EVs. That transition might be quicker than some expected. I hope the renewable energy needed to power all those cars is being factored into plans.
Be careful, this is not a third of fossil fuels reduced. It is a third of fossil fuel used to generate electricity reduced. Transport , manufacturing etc would have different figures.
This is still a big deal. As you point out, with a rising amount of electric cars, it may start to convert very quickly elsewhere. With rising electric cars, we’d expect higher electricity use. So this might be less of a reduction in absolute terms, but an even bigger drop for fossil fuels overall, as transport would be much reduced.
I imagine this is part of the reason we’re seeing minimal rises in petrol pricing despite the Russian and Israeli wars. America being self sufficient and now a net exporter helps too. They’re less inclined to escalate for oil.
And it just took a major war on our doorstep, with implicit and explicit threats to spill right through our front door, to light a fire on our collective asses.
I always thought it would be good to leave some traditional power plants just in case
Germany’s is subsiding its natgas plants to shift to burning hydrogen, along with subsiding new hydrogen only plants.
Since hydrogen burns clean and you can make it with renewables and store it for later, they will have exactly that.
That’s pretty smart. Combine that with nuclear and you will be solid
Poland with its 80% electricity from coal, close to 1% of all employed working in something coal mining related and coal miners having the largest and most aggressive union would like to have a word.
Poland would have to spend almost 10% of GDP (healthcare, education and defense combined) building nuclear plants and investing in renewables for the next 10 years to meet the 2035 target.
Solar is getting so cheap Poland will end up buying its electricity from its neighbours. Coal plants are destined to shut down. I’m pro union but they’d better advocate for reconversion rather than digging a hole for themselves.
