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Last update: October 2011

General information: transformation of our energy system

What is the transformation of our energy system?

The 'transformation of our energy system' (known in German as the 'Energiewende') refers to the move towards the age of renewables and energy efficiency. The German government decided that Germany's energy supply should be generated primarily from renewables by 2050. This requires our energy supply system to be fundamentally restructured, presenting Germany with economic and technological challenges. The Energy Concept of 28 September 2010 and the decisions on accelerating the energy transformation of summer 2011 describe the road towards the new energy era with specific targets, a monitoring process and a sound financing plan, as well as around 180 individual measures.

Securing a reliable, economically viable and environmentally sound energy supply is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. But transforming our energy system is more than just a challenge: it is also a fundamental ethical and cultural decision and offers the unique opportunity to show the world how competitiveness can be reconciled with sustainable development in a leading industrial nation.

What does energy policy have to do with climate protection?

Demand for energy in our society is enormous. Besides the different industrial sectors, private households - that means each one of us - consume energy every day in its various forms. For instance, we need electricity for lighting or for the computer; we need energy to heat buildings and water; and means of transport such as car, bus and train can only function with the necessary motive power.

At present, however, our energy supply is still largely based on fossil energy sources. In 2011, the share of renewables in electricity supply reached the 20 percent mark. However, combustion of fossil energy sources releases greenhouse gases which damage the climate. At present, around 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are due to energy generation. This is why restructuring our energy supply to focus on renewables is the key to achieving the German government's climate protection targets.

What role does the nuclear phase-out play in the transformation of our energy system?

In 2000, the German government decided that there should be a time limit on the use of nuclear power. The provisions on extending the operating lives adopted in the context of the Energy Concept were based on the principle that nuclear power is a bridging technology and that the operating life of nuclear power plants essentially depends on the safety of the installations, economic considerations and the progress made in the expansion of renewables.

Following the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, the German government reassessed the residual risk of nuclear power and decided to phase-out the use of nuclear power more quickly than had been planned in September 2010. The German government based its decisions on the recommendations of the Ethics Commission and the Reactor Safety Commission.

The amendment to the Atomic Energy Act laid down a clear and binding step-by-step plan for the phase-out. The last nuclear power plant is scheduled for decommissioning by the end of 2022 at the latest.

To make this possible, we intend to accelerate the transformation of Germany's energy system that was launched with the Energy Concept in September 2010. A corresponding package of measures entitled "The path to the energy of the future - reliable, affordable and environmentally sound" was adopted in summer 2011 by the German government, the Bundestag and the Bundesrat.