Germany’s obsession with unreliable wind and solar has households and businesses paying the Europe’s highest power prices, when electricity isn’t being rationed, that is.
That more than 300,000 German households can no longer afford electricity, comes as no surprise. That hundreds of thousands of people in Europe’s richest economy are forced to heat their homes using timber scavenged from forests is criminal. But, that’s what the inevitable transition to an all wind and solar powered future looks like, for those forced to suffer it.
A few months from now, as another bitter northern European winter bites, those households will be belted from both angles: power and gas prices continue to skyrocket to a level that hundreds of thousands more will be unable to light and heat their homes.
But, never fear, their local governments have a cunning plan to prevent their constituents from freezing to death.
With a nod to Antarctica’s Emperor penguins – who tough it out for months in howling sub-zero gales by huddling together in packs – Germans are being offered the opportunity to bunch up in exhibition halls when temperatures plummet, so they can collectively stay warm in a commonly heated space.
The team from Jo Nova report on the insanity that passes for energy policy in renewables-obsessed Germany.
Join these dots: Renewables make half Germany’s power, and energy crisis means public halls are “warm up spaces”
Jo Nova Blog
Jo Nova
12 July 2022
Germany is getting more medieval by the minute.
In the latest news the Cities and Municipalities Association is urging local officials to plan for public halls to be used as emergency “warm up spaces” when winter comes. With families needing to find an extra €3,800 to pay the energy bills many people won’t be able to afford electricity or gas.
Welcome to the renewables future where lights are dimmer, there’s no hot water at schools and public swimming pools are closed, but town halls are open so people can survive the night.
Renewables supply nearly half of German power demand in first half 2022.
Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) said on Monday that renewables had covered around 49% of gross domestic electricity consumption over the period.
The claim of “half” is still inflated. If we remove hydroelectricity and biomass, in the last six months all forms of wind and solar power have produced 35% of the electricity (on a random come-and-go basis).
Meanwhile in related news Germany has some of the most expensive electricity in the world at 35c/KWh (USD).
Germany Plans ‘Warm Up Spaces’ in Response to Gas Shortages
Paul Joseph Watson
Cities across Germany are planning to use sports arenas and exhibition halls as ‘warm up spaces’ this winter to help freezing citizens who are unable to afford skyrocketing energy costs.
Bild newspaper reveals how the the nation’s Cities and Municipalities Association has urged local authorities to set aside public spaces to help vulnerable citizens in the colder months.
Germany has already seen its gas supply from Russia significantly restricted as a result of its support for sanctions and the war in Ukraine.
“We are currently preparing for all emergency scenarios for autumn and winter,” Jutta Steinruck, the city mayor of Ludwigshafen told Bild, where the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle arena is about to be converted into a warm up hall.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the CSIRO has modelled the long-term energy costs and concludes that wind and solar are the cheapest and getting cheaper too!
Jo Nova Blog
European energy crisis: “The worst winter we’ve seen since the 1970s”
Jo Nova Blog
Jo Nova
9 July 2022
It’s summer and yet some parts of Germany are already dimming lights and reducing the temperature, restricting shower times or even closing swimming pools. Meanwhile in the UK, energy prices are up four fold compared to a couple of years ago. Both nations are bringing back coal power, which is unthinkable enough on its own (in a 2021 climate-religion kind of way) yet even that isn’t enough. Winter is coming…
Germany dims the lights to cope with Russia gas supply crunch
Financial Times, 8 July 2022
Germany is rationing hot water, dimming its street lights and shutting down swimming pools as the impact of its energy crunch begins to spread from industry to offices, leisure centres and homes.
A huge increase in gas prices triggered by Russia’s move last month to sharply reduce supplies to Germany has plunged Europe’s biggest economy into its worst energy crisis since the oil price shock of 1973.
Gas importers and utilities are fighting for survival while consumer bills are going through the roof, with some warning of rising friction.
“The situation is more than dramatic,” said Axel Gedaschko, head of the federation of German housing enterprises GdW. “Germany’s social peace is in great danger.”
As tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine escalate, officials fear the situation could get worse. On Monday, Russia is shutting down its main pipeline to Germany, Nord Stream 1, for 10 days of scheduled maintenance. Many in Berlin fear it will never reopen.
Energy prices are expected to rise by up to €3,800 for four people, compared with 2021 levels. Wow.
Britain faces ‘cataclysmic’ energy crisis this winter with £3000 bills, Martin Lewis warns
Coventry Telegraph, 8 July 2022
‚We are talking about millions, if not 10 million people moving into real poverty this winter, the worst winter we have seen’. Martin Lewis today warned that the UK is facing a ‘cataclysmic’ energy crisis this winter as the price cap is set to reach £3,000.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the Money Saving Expert founder has said that we are heading for a ‘bleak winter’ with millions, if not 10 million people moving into real poverty. He says that it will be the worst winter we’ve seen since the 1970s or earlier in terms of finances.
via STOP THESE THINGS
August 1, 2022, by stopthesethings
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