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''Energiewende'' (German for ''Energy transition'') is the transition by Germany to an energy portfolio dominated by renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development. The final goal is the abolition of coal and other non-renewable energy sources. Renewable energy encompasses wind, biomass (such as landfill gas and sewage gas), hydropower, solar power (thermal and photovoltaic), geothermal, and ocean power. These renewable sources are to serve as an alternative to fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas) and nuclear fuel (uranium). Piecemeal measures often have only limited potential, so a timely implementation for this transition requires multiple approaches in parallel. Energy conservation and improvements in energy efficiency thus play a major role. An example of an effective energy conservation measure is improved insulation for buildings; an example of improved energy efficiency is cogeneration of heat and power. Smart electric meters can schedule energy consumption for times when electricity is available inexpensively. == The term == This term was the title of a 1980 publication by the German Öko-Institut, calling for the complete abandonment of nuclear and petroleum energy.〔Krause, Bossel, Müller-Reißmann: ''Energiewende – Wachstum und Wohlstand ohne Erdöl und Uran'', S. Fischer Verlag 1980, ASIN: B0029KUZBI. (''Energy Transition – Growth and Prosperity without Petroleum and Uranium'')〕 On the February 16 of that year the German Federal Ministry of the Environment also hosted a symposium in Berlin, called ''Energiewende – Atomausstieg und Klimaschutz'' (Energy Transition: Nuclear Phase-Out and Climate Protection). The views of the Öko-Institut, initially strongly opposed, have gradually become common knowledge in energy policy. In the following decades the term expanded in scope; in its present form it dates back to at least 2002. ''Energiewende'' designates a significant change in energy policy: The term encompasses a reorientation of policy from demand to supply and a shift from centralized to distributed generation (for example, producing heat and power in very small cogeneration units), which should replace overproduction and avoidable energy consumption with energy-saving measures and increased efficiency. In a broader sense this transition also entails a democratization of energy:〔Henrik Paulitz: (''Dezentrale Energiegewinnung - Eine Revolutionierung der gesellschaftlichen Verhältnisse'' ). IPPNW. (Decentralized Energy Production - Revolutionizing Social Relations) Accessed 20 January 2012.〕 In the traditional energy industry, a few large companies with large centralized power stations dominate the market as an oligopoly and consequently amass a worrisome level of both economic and political power. Renewable energies, in contrast, can as a rule be established in a decentralized manner. Public wind farms and solar parks can involve many citizens directly in energy production.〔(''Mit Bürgerengagement zur Energiewende'' ). (With Citizen Involvement for the Energy Transition) Website of the organization Deutscher Naturschutzring. Cited as of 17 February 2012.〕 Photovoltaic systems can even be set up by individuals. Municipal utilities can also benefit citizens financially, while the conventional energy industry profits a relatively small number of shareholders. Also significant, the decentralized structure of renewable energies enables creation of value locally and minimizes capital outflows from a region. Renewable energy sources therefore play an increasingly important role in municipal energy policy, and local governments often promote them. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Energy transition in Germany」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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