The German Energy Transition: From Nuclear Power to Renewables:

Within days of the Fukushima disaster, Germany announced that it would completely abandon nuclear power by 2022 and shift toward 40 percent renewable energy by 2020. Over the last ten years, Germany has increased the share of electricity from renewable sources from five to over 20 percent, while creating more than 380,000 new jobs in this sector, and became a world leader in the solar power industry. Yet its nuclear phase out has generated considerable controversy over cost and reliability of renewables, possible energy shortages, and accusations of “greenwashing” –simply importing nuclear energy from other countries. In this special Political Salon lunch, the President of Germany’s Federal Environment AgencyJochen Flasbarth will discuss Germany’s plan to make a complete switch to renewable power by 2050, as well as the phase-out fallout that has accompanied the transition.