Germany Has a Coal Problem

A new study out of Brussels offers up a conclusion that will surprise precisely no one: coal power is Europe’s biggest pollution problem. But here’s something that might turn a few heads: green-crazed Germany is among the continent’s worst offenders on this front. The AP reports:

The European Environment Agency said in a report late Sunday that half of the plants responsible for the largest releases of air and water pollution were in Britain, with a total of 14. Germany was second with seven, followed by France and Poland, each with five.

A quarter of the plants the EU agency identified as being the worst polluters in Europe can be found in Germany. How could this be? After all, Berlin is quick to point out the fact that it’s sourcing roughly a third of its energy from renewable sources these days, the result of heavy subsidies afforded to wind and solar power producers (that have also led to some of the EU’s highest electricity prices).

That surge in renewables is part of the German energiewende, but it isn’t the only component of that energy transition. Berlin is also phasing out its nuclear power fleet, a decision hastened by the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Of course, a rational examination of the prospect of nuclear power in Germany would show that the country faces none of the numerous risks of natural disaster that threaten Japan’s own reactors, but then, environmentalists aren’t the first group one turns to for rational reflection.

Nuclear power is, like renewables, a zero-emissions energy source, but unlike wind and solar, it can be relied on for consistent supply. Its absence has put Germany in a bind, and has led to a greater reliance on coal-fired power plants even as Berlin crafts its image as a green leader. Nice work if you can get it.

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