Germany's Renewable Output Beats Nuclear, Hard Coal in Power Mix

Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Germany produced more energy from renewable sources than from nuclear, hard-coal or gas-fired plants this year after boosting investments in projects from wind to biomass.

Renewables accounted for a fifth of the generation mix in 2011, up from 16.4 percent last year, the BDEW utility association said today in a website statement. Only lignite- fired output, with 24.6 percent, had a greater share this year.

Atomic power sank to 17.4 percent from 22.4 percent after Chancellor Angela Merkel shuttered the country's eight oldest reactors in March in the wake of the Fukushima crisis in Japan. She plans a complete exit from the nuclear industry by 2022.

I tend to agree with you that Germany should have focused on eliminating coal before nuclear, but at least most of the change is happening through the increase in the share of renewables rather than fossil-fuel plants. and that's before the large scale investment in offshore wind shows up in the numbers.

Wind power