Is Germany's Green Energy Push Destabilizing Electric Grids?
Friday, January 25, 2013
Here's a preview of a recent article from the newspaper Canada Free Press.
For some, switching to renewable energy sources seems easy...a no-brainer. We addressed the possibility of large-scale wind energy in Kentucky in a previous blog entry.
As we said in that post, we must meet our customers’ energy needs 24/7, and that requires us to respond real-time to any changes in demand.
Within the U.S., wind energy can play a role in meeting our energy needs, but its low availability, particularly on hot summer days, and the relatively high cost of wind turbines means it’s not a good source for reliable, low-cost generation that we are obligated to supply in Kentucky.
We'll follow Germany's struggles and provide updates to our readers, as Germany is looked at by some as a model for what could be done here in the states.
Until next time, keep using energy wisely.
Germany is phasing out its nuclear plants in favor of wind and solar energy backed-up by coal power. The government’s transition to these intermittent green energy technologies is causing havoc with its electric grid and that of its neighbors—countries that are now building switches to turn off their connection with Germany at their borders.
The intermittent power is causing destabilization of the electric grids causing potential blackouts, weakening voltage and causing damage to industrial equipment.
The instability of the electric grid is just one of many issues that the German government is facing regarding its move to intermittent renewable technologies.
Residential electricity prices in Germany are some of the highest in Europe and are increasing dramatically (currently Germans pay 34 cents a kilowatt hour compared to an average of 12 cents in the United States). Note: LG&E and KU customers pay a little less than 9 cents a kilowatt hour.
This year German electricity rates are about to increase by over 10 percent due mainly to a surcharge for using more renewable energy and a further 30 to 50 percent price increase is expected in the next ten years. These changes in the electricity generation market have caused about 800,000 German households to no longer be able to afford their energy bills.
For some, switching to renewable energy sources seems easy...a no-brainer. We addressed the possibility of large-scale wind energy in Kentucky in a previous blog entry.
As we said in that post, we must meet our customers’ energy needs 24/7, and that requires us to respond real-time to any changes in demand.
Within the U.S., wind energy can play a role in meeting our energy needs, but its low availability, particularly on hot summer days, and the relatively high cost of wind turbines means it’s not a good source for reliable, low-cost generation that we are obligated to supply in Kentucky.
We'll follow Germany's struggles and provide updates to our readers, as Germany is looked at by some as a model for what could be done here in the states.
Until next time, keep using energy wisely.
