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In the first half of 2014, Germany derived 31% of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Compared to the first half of 2013, Germany's production of solar power increased by 28% and its production of wind power increased by 19%. Germany’s use of natural gas fell by 25%, which signals an effort to become less dependent on Russian natural gas. Over the past few years, Germany has elevated itself to the status of one of the world’s leaders in renewable energy production, especially in wind and solar power. Germany aims to continue its production of renewable energy and also its innovation of new sources of renewable energy.
Germany’s focus on increasing its production of renewable energy has a positive impact on the environment and also has allowed the nation to wean itself off of natural gas and oil supplied by Russia. With the looming political instability in Ukraine and Russia’s direct involvement in the matter, European nations that import fossil fuels from Russia are uncertain about the future availability of these resources. Expanding the use of renewable energy sources to generate electricity protects against the risk of a halt in Russian oil and natural gas exports.
Germany’s impact on renewable energy expands outside of its borders, as its industrial wind power and solar power companies dominate the world market. Currently, one third of all solar panels and one half of all wind rotors are made in Germany. Germany’s unparalleled success in the green energy industry has undoubtedly had a global economic impact and can be used as a model for other nations that wish to expand their use of renewable energy sources.
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