Arbeitspapier

The German Energiewende under attack: Is there an irrational Sonderweg?

The German energy transition repeatedly faces harsh critiques questioning its economic and environmental merit. This article defends the Energiewende and argues that Germany has chosen a rational and particularly forceful approach to securing sustainable energy supply. Though current expenditures are high, the long-run benefits of transforming the energy system to a renewables-based system are likely to outweigh present investment costs. Furthermore, support policies for renewables are not redundant - as some critics claim - but complement other policy instruments, such as the emissions trading scheme. The article also addresses the motives behind the discrediting attacks on the German energy policy regime. Defense actions by beneficiaries of the former energy market structure are only to be expected, but the attacks from liberal economists are astonishingly fierce.

Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Series: UFZ Discussion Paper ; No. 15/2012

Klassifikation
Wirtschaft
Externalities
National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: Infrastructures; Other Public Investment and Capital Stock
Alternative Energy Sources
Energy: Government Policy
Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming
Thema
energy supply
energy transition
externalities
Germany
renewable energy sources
support policies
sustainability

Ereignis
Geistige Schöpfung
(wer)
Gawel, Erik
Strunz, Sebastian
Lehmann, Paul
Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wer)
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)
(wo)
Leipzig
(wann)
2012

Handle
Letzte Aktualisierung
10.03.2025, 11:43 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. Bei Fragen zum Objekt wenden Sie sich bitte an den Datenpartner.

Objekttyp

  • Arbeitspapier

Beteiligte

  • Gawel, Erik
  • Strunz, Sebastian
  • Lehmann, Paul
  • Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)

Entstanden

  • 2012

Ähnliche Objekte (12)