" Germany and the United States are embarking on two drastically different energy policies, and these countries are reaping dramatically different results. In Germany, the government devised a top-down plan called Energiewende, a term meaning “turn” or “revolution,” intended to make Germany the renewable-energy center of the world. The United States has experienced its own energy revolution thanks to hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking,” which has transformed our nation into the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world in spite of, not because of, the federal government.
Both these “revolutions” were supposed to result in growing economies, lower energy prices, and lower carbon-dioxide emissions, but only one has actually achieved these lofty goals. Surprise! It’s not the top-down, big-government policy."
For example, German consumers are paying on average $355/year more than 5 years ago, while Americans are paying $181-$432/year less due to decreases in the cost of natural gas due to vastly increased supply. In addition, Americans are also saving an average of $675/year from lower gasoline prices because the U.S. is also increasing the oil supply domestically at a rapid rate. And a bonus is that U.S. carbon emissions fell due to cleaner-burning natural gas while Germany's CO2 totals went up. Not bad, not bad at all.
Perhaps for wind and other types of renewable energy, someday their prince will come, but until then, the market is doing a pretty good job of providing a good and cleaner energy supply at a lower cost than government can via fiat.
townhall.com/columnists/isaacorr/2015/09/15/german-energiewende-vs-american-fracking-a-tale-of-two-energy-revolutions-n2051956
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