We’re often told to recycle and reuse to cut back on waste, pollution, and bad emissions to the environment.  But Germany’s renewable energy sector is among the most innovative and successful worldwide.  This green energy policy also known as “energiewende” encourages countries to move away from fossil fuels and to use more renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and water.  The share of electricity produced from renewable energy in Germany has increased from 6.3 percent of the national total in 2000 to about 25 percent in the first half of 2012.      While yes, this is the worldwide leading example its costing residents more than ever.  Since 2000 the average household electric bill has raised almost 85 percent a month in fees.  However, citizens are seeing the benefits of “energiewende” and seem to be ok with the price increase.

One thing that is becoming cheaper is the operation of coal-fired power plants. Although the energiewende’s goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Germany’s CO2 emissions rose last year as an affect of this.  Much of the new renewable energy production is set to be built in the north, which will require new high voltage power lines to transport the electricity to the industrial south; and in return will again bump the electrical bills through the roof.

As many financial problems are pointed out and are obvious, the major goal of this, which is to cut back on negative emissions to the environment , is being solved everyday in high numbers.  As for now, it seems energiewende is doing just fine, with prices up and emissions down.