Wind energy has contributed more power this year than ever before to power generation, replacing lignite as the main source of energy.
Due to strong winds in particular, around 30,000 wind turbines in Germany generated 118 terawatt hours of electricity by mid-December, according to the German Wind Energy Association. The total production of the previous year had already been reached and exceeded at the end of November.
This makes wind energy the first source of energy for the first time before lignite is used in power generation. In the current year, it contributes 24 percent to net electricity generation, brown coal 20 percent and nuclear energy 14 percent.
However, fossil fuels plus nuclear power, at 54 percent of net electricity, are still ahead of renewables at 46 percent. The share of renewables is steadily increasing and should be 65 percent by 2030.
At the moment, however, the expansion of wind energy is slowing down; hardly any new facilities are being built. In addition, power generation accounts for only about one fifth of energy consumption. All in all, renewable energies account for around 15 percent of Germany's energy supply.