Articles by
Paul Hockenos
Nuclear Power Is a Dead End. We Must Abandon It Completely.
By
Paul Hockenos
Amid a confluence of crises—the Ukraine war, an energy crisis, and climate breakdown—nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance, at least in the rhetoric of politicians and pundits across Europe, North America, and beyond. After all, it’s tempting to propose these generators of low-carbon energy as a panacea to this daunting phalanx of calamities. But in fact, the case against nuclear power and for genuinely renewable energies has never been so conclusive—and so important. In early March, Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine—the largest in Europe with six reactors, each the size of the one that melted down in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster—and transformed it into an army base from which it fires artillery at Ukrainian positions.
Copenhagen’s Legendary Wind Park Middelgrunden at a Crossroads
By
Paul Hockenos
The world’s largest wind farm two decades ago may not survive as a co-operative. At least this is what the Danish energy industry says. The co-op’s founders remain defiant – and optimistic.
Community Energy Projects Face Obstacles Despite New EU Directives
By
Paul Hockenos
Fresh EU directives have spurred new legislation across the EU to expand citizen-owned energy projects. But collective renewables still bump up against the powerful forces of traditional utilities, grid operators, and conventional energy interests.
Baden-Wuerttemberg Discovers Geothermal Energy: Will Germany Follow?
By
Paul Hockenos
Bavaria has 20 deep-well plants and more in planning. Now its neighbor state in the south, Baden-Wuerttemberg, is picking up the thread. Deep geothermal energy is to become a cornerstone of its effort to achieve climate goals that are even more determined than Germany’s national plans – and currently in danger of falling short.
Germany’s geothermal sector is struggling to take off
By
Paul Hockenos
While geothermal energy is a viable alternative to curb emissions for heating and cooling, fears and high costs have limited its expansion. But Bavaria and now Baden Wurttemberg are forging ahead. The potential of geothermal energy, especially for heating, is particularly enticing.
Geothermal Has to Step Up to Keep Europe Warm and Hit Climate Targets
By
Paul Hockenos
Long renewable energy’s black sheep, this multitasking energy source has a bright future but only if geothermal developers can dispel the myths around it while lowering the risks to development.
The Green New Deal doesn’t require a tsunami of government funding
By
Paul Hockenos
Critically, the clean energy boom here in Europe was not ignited foremost by government spending, which the Green New Deal implies is critical for the United States to do the same. Rather, legislation initiated by the EU and the national states opened energy markets to independent renewable-energy producers and revamped the regulatory framework to help ordinary citizens, small businesses and communities to get a foot in the door.
Carbon Crossroads: Can Germany Revive Its Stalled Energy Transition?
By
Paul Hockenos
Although Germany has been a global leader in moving to decarbonize its massive economy, the country’s ambitious clean-energy transformation is faltering. Now, a broad spectrum of energy experts are working to revitalize the effort to make Germany nearly carbon-free by mid-century.
Boell: Robert Habeck–Germany’s First and Only Minister for the Energiewende
By
Paul Hockenos
The fact that Robert Habeck is the first Energiewende minister in Germany – in its northern-most state, Schleswig Holstein – is only one of the attributes that distinguishes the 43-year-old, Baltic-Sea native from the average German politico.
Boell: Why California is to Blame for Germany’s “Energiewende”
By
Paul Hockenos
Germany is currently in the forefront of this transition - their Energiewende - but this was not always the case. Only a few short decades ago, it was the United States who was leading the world away from fossil fuels and it was Germany who was stubbornly clinging to an old fashioned economy.
