Germany Says Renewables Growth Faster Than Planned

The rapid expansion of renewable energy in Germany means there is no need to renege on the government’s agreement to phase out nuclear power, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Tuesday.

The Social Democrat, a member of conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s left-right coalition, said Germany would this year exceed a 2010 goal to boost the share of electricity generated by renewable energy sources to at least 12.5 percent.

He said that should climb to a share of about 27 percent by 2020.
“We are expanding the share of renewable energy faster than other EU states,” Gabriel said in a statement.

Renewable energy had risen almost 13 percent last year to account for 11.8 percent of the country’s total electricity supply, he said.

“This means we that we can reach Germany’s ambitious climate protection goals in parallel with the phasing out of atomic energy,” said Gabriel.

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