“No path forward”

August 9, 2026 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Energy, Germany, RWE, USA, Wind Energy Leave a comment

To the past.

Wind farms were yesterday.

Trump administration to pay German firm $1.2bn to halt US wind projects – German energy company RWE has said it will abandon its offshore wind projects in the US after reaching a $1.2bn (£892m) payout deal with President Donald Trump’s Department of the Interior (DoI).

RWE said that it will now reinvest the sum into conventional gas projects, including $900m (£669m) in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project in Louisiana.

“After careful consideration, it was determined there is no path forward to permit these projects in the US for the foreseeable future,” the company said in a statement.

Maybe this turnaround of the previous turnaround…

July 30, 2026 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Energy Turnaround, Germany, Greens, Renewable energy, Renewables, Solar energy, Subsidies, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Will finally turn things around.

Germany Is Reducing Its Subsidization of Renewables – Germany, with some of the highest electricity rates in the world, is reducing its subsidies on some renewable energy programs to better control costs and limit price increases.

Germany plans to scale back renewable-energy subsidies as the country overhauls its funding system, seeking to reduce energy transition costs and address growing pressure on the electricity grid.

Deeper ties to China?

May 3, 2026 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: China, Dependency, Energy, Exports, Germany, Imports, Renewables, Trade, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Smart move, Germany (Schleswig-Holstein).

Reminds me of those deeper ties to Russia right before the war in Ukraine broke out.

German state eyes deeper China cooperation in energy, innovation – Significant potential exists to deepen cooperation between the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein and east China’s Zhejiang Province, particularly in energy transition, hydrogen and advanced manufacturing, according to Daniel Guenther, minister president of Schleswig-Holstein.

His remarks come as the two regions mark 40 years of partnership, with both sides seeking to expand ties despite an increasingly complex geopolitical and trade environment.

“Below-average wind speeds” are to blame

January 29, 2026 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hi-tech, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Electricity, Energy, Germany, Green energy, Greens, Ideology, Renewable energy, Renewables, Wind, Wind Energy 1 Comment

Not the lame-ass technology itself.

Alright, move on, nothing to see here, disperse…

Germany’s stretch of weak wind output set to drag on into 2026 – Europe’s largest wind power producer – Germany – remains in the grips of a years-long bout of sub-par wind electricity production due to below-average wind speeds at turbine level.

Total German wind-powered electricity output fell by around 4% in 2025 from the year before, and followed a less than 1% annual expansion in 2024, despite steady annual increases to Germany’s total wind generation capacity for over a decade.

German of the day: Märchenwald

May 11, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Forests, German, Germany, Greens, Language, Renewable energy, Renewables, Trees, Wind Energy, Wind Turbines Leave a comment

That means fairytale forest.

You know, the German Brothers Grimm kind. The kind Germans these days level for wind parks.

Plan for windfarm in German ‘fairytale forest’ stokes green energy culture war – Far right accused of misinformation over turbines at Reinhardswald, which has left local people divided.

Deep in the woods that inspired the Brothers Grimm, past the tower from which Rapunzel threw down her hair and the castle in which Sleeping Beauty slumbered, lies a construction site that the far right has declared a crime against national soil and identity.

In this quiet corner of Germany’s “fairytale forest”, workers are clearing land and building access roads to erect 18 wind turbines.

We won’t break it up until it’s broken

April 29, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Germany, Greens, Monopolies, Renewables, Solar energy, Spain, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Really broken. Even more broken than it already is (see Spain’s Green energy adventure yesterday).

Berlin faces EU test over German electricity market break-up – Sweden, Belgium and Czech Republic argue country’s market restructuring could drive prices down.

Germany’s new government faces an early test of its sway in Brussels as it defies pressure from neighbouring countries to break up the German electricity market.

Sweden, Belgium and the Czech Republic are among countries to have argued that splitting the large German market into several zones could lower prices for their consumers, as electricity flows to the region of highest priced demand.

You blew it, Germany

April 27, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Germany, Greens, Renewable energy, Solar energy, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Because your wind energy blows.

When the Wind Didn’t Blow in Germany – A years-long renewables push leaves the economy hostage to the weather.

Germany has invested so many hundreds of billions of euros in its green energy transition over the years that no one can tally the precise amount. Yet the share of wind and solar power in the country’s energy mix in the first quarter of this year managed to fall—by a lot. There’s a lesson for the U.S. here.

German of the day: Dunkelflaute

December 12, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Climate, Electricity, Energy, German, Germany, Greens, Language, Renewables, Solar energy, Weather, Wind Energy Leave a comment

That means the “dark duldrums.”

It’s dark here all the time these days, in other words. And there’s not much wind either. “Renewables” don’t seem to like that for some reason.

A weather phenomenon dubbed ‘Dunkelflaute’ is causing havoc in Germany and pushing energy prices to 2-decade highs – A weather phenomenon dubbed “Dunkelflaute” that causes chilly, low-wind conditions is sweeping across Europe and causing fresh havoc to Germany’s embattled economy, where energy prices have risen to a two-decade high.

A Dunkelflaute, translated as “dark doldrums” or “dark wind lull,” is the bain of renewables companies, with an extended period of low wind and cloudy weather hurting their ability to generate electricity from either wind or solar.

Green energy is fun!

July 30, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Energy, Germany, Greens, Renewable energy, Solar energy, Subsidies, Wind Energy Leave a comment

In Green Unicornland, maybe.

But in real countries like Germany where you have to pay real subsidies you can’t afford to pay anymore, that’s where the fun must eventually stop.

Germany’s Ballooning Subsidy Costs Show Challenge of Going Green – Subsidies are draining budget as green power appeal surges Shift may set tone for others contemplating cost of transition.

Germany is buckling under the weight of ballooning renewable energy subsidies, raising questions for governments across the world about how long they can afford to prop up green investments.

German of the day: Luftschloss

July 20, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Budgets, Energy, German, Germany, Government, Language, Renewables, Subsidies, Wind Energy Leave a comment

That means a castle in the air.

You know, a pipe dream. Like Germany’s renewable “energy turnaround” pipe dream. Only now the money has stopped coming down the pipe. Reality always sticks up its ugly little head sooner or later.

Germany Plans to Cut Renewable Subsidies as State Costs Soar – Nation to cut all payments next year when prices turn negative.

Payments will also be based on investment rather than output.

“When the government makes loans or subsidies to business, what it does is to tax successful private business in order to support unsuccessful private business.”

– Henry Hazlitt

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: Wind Energy