Energiewende Initiative

The Energiewende Initiative is Germany's long-running national strategy to transform its energy supply toward renewable sources while phasing out both nuclear power and, eventually, coal generation. Its legislative foundation, the Renewable Energy Sources Act, was passed in 2000 to guarantee grid access and fixed feed-in tariffs for renewable generators, and the policy was sharply accelerated after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident prompted the government to commit to closing all German nuclear plants, a target reached when the last three reactors shut down in April 2023. The initiative has made Germany one of the world's largest markets for wind and solar deployment, while also drawing criticism over its cost to consumers and, at times, continued reliance on coal to cover gaps left by retiring nuclear capacity.