Alexander Roth

☀️ Good news! Renewables keep pushing fossil fuels out of the EU electricity mix.

In 2025, wind and solar power was 291 TWh higher than in 2021. The fossil fuel share went down by 257 TWh.

You can explore the data in our Bruegel European Clean Tech Tracker: european-clean-tech-tracker.bruegel.org

Which economy is more productive - Germany or the US? It seems the answer would be clear, but it's not.

The mood in Germany is so deeply negative, even aggressively pessimistic, that I thought we had fallen behind by a lot. But here are the facts - they surprised me as well:

1/🎙️Dynamische Netzentgelte, Digitalisierung, deutsche Technikangst & italienische Geschirrspülmaschinen: #fossilfrei 38 ist da!

@aroth.bsky.social und ich sprechen im @diw.de Energiewendepodcast mit Prof. @tomasoduso.bsky.social, Vors. der #Monopolkommission, über das aktuelle Sektorgutachten

1/ 🔌🚗 New data published today for 2025 shows strong growth for electric cars in Germany! Or does it?

Here are the facts, based on the recently updated #OpenEnergyTracker:
▶️ Purely battery-electric vehicles accounted for 22.2% of all new passenger cars registered in December.

The European Commission proposes to take a more central role in planning new electricity grid infrastructure.

This can make a lot of sense but as my colleague @aroth.bsky.social points out transparency is crucial. Continuing to use a private & closed-source model leaves the EC open to criticism

The EC’s long-awaited "Grids Package" is finally out. Moving toward a system-oriented approach for Europe's infrastructure is the right step, but it won't work in a black box.
In my latest for @bruegel.org, I argue why transparency is important to making this effective.

We launched our @bruegel.org EU Renewables Value Tracker based on great work by @mariejuge.bsky.social & @aroth.bsky.social:
www.bruegel.org/dataset/eu-renewables-value-track

Five insights 🧵:

1) The value of additional solar plants in south-east Europe and particularly Italy is still very high.

⚡ Europe’s electricity capacity mechanisms need to be better coordinated

🤝 How can the EU build consensus for greater cross-border coordination?

🖊️ By Pär Holmberg, @maurerchr.christophmaurer.de, Monika Morawiecka, Fabien Roques and @gzachmann.bsky.social
🔗 buff.ly/thcJkkR
#EconSky

Forscher kritisieren gebremsten Ausbau von Erneuerbaren Energien Forscher warnen vor gebremstem Ausbau von Erneuerbaren Energien und plädieren für klare Technologiewahl statt offener Ansätze.

Forscher warnen vor gebremstem Ausbau von Erneuerbaren Energien und plädieren für klare Technologiewahl statt offener Ansätze. #Erneuerbare Energie

Germany should accelerate its renewable energy transition - Communications Earth & Environment Germany’s energy transition relies on variable renewables and electricity use across sectors, and it needs to accelerate. This Comment argues that consistent policy commitments to proven technologies,...

1/ How is Germany's #Energiewende going, and how should it proceed? In our brand-new piece in Communications Earth & Environment, we show that the expansion of variable renewables has progressed substantially in recent years, but electrification and flexibility have not kept pace. A short 🧵

1/ 🔋 In Deutschland wird aktuell viel über #Stromspeicher geredet. Hier kommen ein paar frisch aufbereitete Daten auf Basis des #OpenEnergyTracker - und am Endes Threads noch ein Hot Take. openenergytracker.org/docs/germany...

☀️ (Clean) Tech Tracker Tuesday: Employment expands across the EU's solar PV sector

👷 What impact is the expansion of #solar power in Europe having on job opportunities?

📊 Explore the Dataset here: buff.ly/O0Qx043
#EconSky

Climate economist Deadline for applications: applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

JOB POSTING 💼 As we keep expanding our work on energy, climate and clean tech, we at Bruegel - Improving economic policy are now searching for a climate economist to complement our team. Please share/apply! www.bruegel.org/careers/clim...

One year on from Draghi, where does EU energy policy stand? Progress has been made on EU energy integration to underpin competitiveness, but much more remains to be done

NEW🚨The response to Draghi’s call for action on energy has thus so far been more incremental than disruptive. But potentially significant initiatives are on the way. These will represent Europe’s moment of truth for energy integration.

www.bruegel.org/first-glance...

1/ 🦆🐫 When the camel meets the duck: how storage patterns have changed in 🇩🇪

Cool new illustration on the #OpenEnergyTracker: average daily operations of pumped hydro storage in Germany since 2015. A little 🧵
🇩🇪🔌↩️

👇 New @eu-untangled.bsky.social episode out:
We discuss the EU's *AI regulation* with @nicolasmoes.bsky.social (Executive Director, The Future Society).

🔋 How much long-duration storage do we need in Europe, and what is the impact of #Dunkelflaute events?

🧾Take a look at our pre-print arxiv.org/abs/2411.17683 (with @kittelmartin.bsky.social & @wpschill.bsky.social).

👇 Martin's thread below is a great summary!

What exactly led to the Spain-Portugal blackout is still unknown, but this pod provides a great explanation of the power grid dynamics that are involved in these kinds of events. #energysky

You will come away smarter, & not b/c you will know "the answer" but b/c you will know the questions to ask👇

DIW Berlin: 'fossilfrei' - der Energiewendepodcast des DIW Berlin Folgen Die Energiewende erscheint oft kompliziert und unübersichtlich. Die Macher des "DIW-Monitor Energiewende", Alexander Roth und Wolf-Peter Schill, sortieren das für euch. Wir diskutieren, auch…

1/ 🎙️ Lust auf einen Energiewende-Podcast am Wochenende? Wir haben für euch einen Deep Dive zum #Emissionshandel mit einem Gast, der dazu wirklich was zu sagen hat: Dr. Michael Pahle vom @pik-potsdam.bsky.social ⏩ #fossilfrei Folge 31 ist da! @diw.de @ariadneprojekt.bsky.social

Bottomline: the US will either falter and reverse everything, with substantial losses, or continue current path with huge losses. Credibility of this administration internationally is low, but the damage is deeper and will outlast it. Institutions provided no checks and balances.

🚨 Achtung Studis im Berliner Raum: wer hat Lust, uns bei der Arbeit mit Energiewende-Daten zu unterstützen? Join the Team #OpenEnergyTracker! openenergytracker.org Ggf. auch Mitarbeit beim Podcast #fossilfrei möglich. Ich freue mich auf eure Bewerbungen

Energiespeicher werden immer wichtiger. Zu diesem Schluss kommt unsere Kollegin Anna Billerbeck im aktuellen Ariadne-Explainer zusammen mit @wpschill.bsky.social, Alexander Burkhardt, @lionhirth.bsky.social sky.social @aroth.bsky.social ky.social und Dana Kirchem vom
@ariadneprojekt.bsky.social 👇

Report: Die Energiewende kosteneffizient gestalten – Szenarien zur Klimaneutralität 2045 | Ariadne Der vorliegende Ariadne-Szenarienreport spannt den Optionenraum für die deutsche Energiewende auf. Dazu werden fünf Szenarien modelliert, die Klimaziele und Klimaneutralität erreichen. Ein sechstes Sz...

Die neuen Szenariorechnungen zur Klimaneutralität 2045 aus dem @ariadneprojekt.bsky.social sind da! 🔽 Wie schon in früheren Studien zeigt sich, dass erneuerbarer Strom der wichtigste Energieträger wird. Ein schneller Ausbau von Windkraft & PV und ihre Nutzung für Mobilität und Wärme sind essenziell.

american masculinity is so amazing. caring about clothes as a man apparently makes you "gay" but our position on geopolitics totally depends on whether you wear a suit

Absolutely. Also we should pour all our energy into getting the next steps right rather than relitigating why we have not taken them already. We can do that later.

DIW Berlin: Fossilfrei #29 Wasserstoffspeicher für die Energiewende: Technik ist da, Investitionsanreize fehlen Hier kommt der Abschluss unseres Speicher-Dreierpacks, und dieses Mal geht es um Wasserstoff-Langfristspeicher. Mit dabei ist Sebastian Heinermann von der Initiative Energien Speichern. Er bringt die…

1/🔋 Langfristspeicher werden oft als eine Art Endgegner für die Energiewende betrachtet. Daher sprechen wir ausführlich über sie in der gerade erschienenen Folge 29 des @diw.de Energiewendepodcasts #fossilfrei! www.diw.de/de/diw_01.c....

Fifty shades of German coalitions – decoded - Euractiv A cheat sheet to the formation of Germany’s next government.

Interesting and fun article by @euractiv.com on the possible and likely coalition options in Germany: www.euractiv.com/section/poli...

After the news we got from the #MSC2025 last weekend, talks have again started about an EU army.

👇 With @eu-untangled.bsky.social (my side project), we recorded an episode with Ionela Ciolan on that topic. She explains, whether we need a common army and what the EU needs to do to defend itself.

Blue and gold sensation!

It's wild when you think about it.

🇺🇸Republicans pressured reluctant Western Europe to invite #Ukraine to join #NATO in 2008 (Bush). Many think that move provoked this war.

Now it's 🇺🇸Republicans who will pressure Europe to drop the invitation, to end the war

When will Europe decide its own future?