AMAC Exclusive – By Ben Solis
As congressional Democrats and the Biden administration continue to ram through their fanatical vision of a “green revolution” in the energy sector, Germany’s current energy crisis stands as a stark warning of what could befall the United States should it continue down its current path.
For decades, German climate ideologues have convinced their government to focus all of its energy investment in so-called “green” resources, while also pressuring German industry to do the same. They insisted that, with enough money, wind, solar, and other renewables could meet the country’s energy demands.
Former President Donald Trump famously warned about the folly of this strategy during a speech before the UN General Assembly in 2018, and was laughed at by world leaders at the time.
But Trump was proven correct following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite Germany’s constant preening about its commitment to green energy, the country remained reliant on shipments of natural gas from Russia, most notably via the Nord Stream pipeline.
When supplies from Nord Stream stopped, Germany’s green utopia became a dystopia, and the country faced a real risk of freezing this winter.
It was only by the grace of God that the largest economy in Europe avoided this fate. Berlin, which usually experiences harsh freezing winds and thick layers of snow, saw an unusually mild winter.
But despite the favorable weather, German industry was still dealt a major blow. In the fourth quarter of 2022, private investment in machinery and equipment fell 3.6 percent, while a trade surplus that stood at €15 billion for the last nine years dropped to €11 billion last January.
Germany’s largest chemical company, BASF, announced 2600 layoffs and a major industry relocation to China, blaming Berlin’s overregulation and energy prices. Other companies in energy-intensive industries, including chemical, cement, paper, forest products, iron, and steel are considering similar steps.
In response, Berlin is desperately trying to secure cheap energy supplies, both to keep its industry afloat and keep its cities’ lights on.
According to the German Association of Coal Importers, about 50 trains deliver 30,000 tons of coal each day from the seaports of the North Sea to 15 German power plants – part of a complete reversal from earlier plans to shutter coal power plants. Nearly 40 percent of coal imports come from Russia.
While EU countries had to cut Russian oil imports, Berlin – with Moscow’s permission – imports oil from Kazakhstan via the Russian-controlled Druzhba pipeline to Germany.
Germany has also quietly announced plans to build its storage capacity for liquid natural gas (LNG) to more than 70 million tons by 2030, which will make the country the fourth-largest LNG import capacity holder in the world.
Last month, Germany also unexpectedly joined a group of countries that oppose ending the production of new gas cars by 2035. German carmakers, along with some in Italy, have been adamant that they want to continue selling cars with a combustion engine, in defiance of the European Union’s “carbon neutral” mandates.
The depth of the German leaders’ panic over energy supplies has been evident in their frequent last-minute visits to overseas energy exporters. In March, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to India for this purpose and sparked a controversy over the Indian delegation supposed giving her the “cold shoulder.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also visited the United States last month, with German energy specialists commenting that the main purpose of his visit was identical – to beg President Biden for lower oil and gas prices.
In short, reality has burst the German “green dream” bubble.
However, many German ministers are continuing to publicly kowtow to the radical left’s environmental activists, even as their government silently ramps up consumption of fossil fuels.
Last month, Germany’s energy minister, a life-long Green Party activist, tried to convince the German Parliament that the country could facilitate a jump in renewable energy production, adding 263 gigawatts of renewable-generated energy by 2031.
Critics have calculated that Germany would need to add 43 soccer fields of solar batteries every day to fulfil that goal, slamming it as hopelessly unrealistic.
Moreover, Germany would need to construct 59 gigawatts-worth of wind turbines in the next seven years to meet the goal. It has only been able to construct 56 gigawatts in the last 20 years.
This proposed energy transition would cost an exorbitant $1 trillion over the next seven years – a full third of Germany’s entire federal budget.
Meanwhile, instead of heeding the warning of the German failure, leftists in the United States have seemingly taken inspiration from the Green Party’s proposals.
Indeed, the Democrat “Green New Deal” – some of which has already been passed into law – is in many ways even more radical and unrealistic than the plans being discussed by German leaders.
A Biden administration plan called “CarbonStar” and its Clean Electricity Standard program would force car makers to produce every part for every vehicle with electricity generated from renewable sources. A similar proposal in Germany was met with warnings from industry leaders that it would “hike production costs right up to the moon.”
Biden’s wind turbine plan also mirrors the German one and dismisses the fact that renewable energy efficiency is not equal to that of fossil fuels.
President Trump again warned about the disastrous consequences of these policies during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year, calling the environmental lobby’s plans “expensive and unreliable.”
The German Green Party’s energy transition plan turned a global economic power into a broken-down cart begging foreign countries for discounts on fossil fuels. Americans should be wary of allowing their country to travel any further down the same disastrous path.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
America will be destroyed by the green machine game that can’t supply anywhere near enough power. The idea is to make this country a third world power and then step in and force a commie govt to take over. All land becomes the government and any industry has strict controls where bribes are normal. If people want green energy then go green on an individual basis. Have friend total solar off grid. Brags about electric bill until battery replacement time,$3,000 every eight years.Generator back up. I respect REC and what it takes to turn on the lights. Brown outs coming!!!
Fossil fuel just make sense. Hydroelectric just makes sense. I don’t believe God will allow this for America. The problem is not right or wrong technology but NOT relying on the God of the universe and His son Jesus Christ. Know Him know which technology is best for a planet God designed. Seek Him first and He will rescue you and yours.
Watch out Leftists. Trump will be cleaning the swamp in 2024. Best you all retire now. You’ve been around way too long.
It appears California is going all out to emulate Germany. Leftists run cities banning natural gas anything and now diesel engines. No new electrical infrastructure because no one can get a permit to build in the not so golden state. Power outages loom on the horizon and the mandate is reduce consumption voluntarily or they will do it for you.
This is good food for thought. It’s good reason not to dive in head first without a life preserver in case we find out we can’t swim.
Merkel set the standard for Germany’s decline via so-called “Green Energy” long ago. She championed every ludicrous proposal put forth in the name of Climate Change and systematically dismantled Germany’s nuclear power reactors and most of the conventional power plants to make way for this “Green Utopia”. Now of course German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Merkel’s successor, is left with trying to get around the basic fact that green energy alone (solar panels and windmills) will NEVER be able to power the Germany economy or keep the lights and heat on for the German people. A fact that virtually every other leader in western Europe is also facing in the same way as Germany.
Of course German industries will flee the massively over-regulated and expensive operating environment that is now all of western Europe for the countries that will provide cheap, reliable electrical power. These companies all understand the economics of what is required to stay in business and generate a profit to meet their customer’s needs and grow over time. That BASF is moving to China makes perfect business sense. Other countries where businesses will migrate to are India and Southeast Asia who have not fallen for the massive financial scam knows as “Green Energy”.
As for the Biden administration ignoring all the realities and history of what not only Germany, but virtually all of western Europe, has experienced over the last few decades in relation to green energy what did you expect? The Democrat Party has been fully onboard with the Climate Change ‘ Green Energy hoax going back decades in this country. Now with the passage of the IRA, which was nothing more than a Climate Change and tax bill, the Democrats are finally in a position to ram through massive changes that will make us look like Germany and the rest of western Europe within 5 to 7 years. The price of energy has only started to rise in this country. Our electric rates will rise over the next couple of years to equal those paid in Germany and the rest of Europe.
We have already abandoned our energy independence under Biden to be dependent on foreign countries for our oil again. Soon we will not only be begging China for more solar panels and windmills, but also all the minerals and battery packs needed to make EVs and charging stations here as well. Elections, both legitimate and fraudulent, have real-world consequences. If you already haven’t prepared for life in this so-called “Green Utopia” to get a whole lot more expensive and restrictive in nature, then you have a lot of work to do.
Energy savers are eventually going to take over fossil fuels. I don’t think there’s anyone who doesn’t see that writing on the wall. But like the auto taking over horses it’s going to take a while and there has to be dependable products to facilitate the change. I’ll use the heat pumps and I’ll put solar panels on my roof and I’ll even try to separate my trash. The cross over needs to be seamless, we need to have something comparable to what we’re giving up. That actually works and doesn’t come with it’s own problems – what are you going to do with all these batteries, and how do you charge a car when there’s rolling black outs and the price of electricity is skyrocketing? Until then, I’m keeping my 2004 jeep.
Green Energy SCAM and WOKE = LOSERS.
Absolutely agree with the author! Germany swallowed the Green pablum long ago and the German people are sorely paying the price. If governments won’t see the obvious writing on the wall, the citizens need to vote them out, post haste.
Turn stuff off when not using it=extra nuclear power plant you didn’t have to build, people are ignorant and lazy about power usage so build out educational websites and sell power controls that have timer options to shut off automatically. Smart homes have such concepts incorporated also
Our “leaders” and their backers are like kids. They don’t want to learn from others (experiences). Those political incumbents want to learn from their own stubbornness and stupidity, at the expense of the people-those who actually live in America and have to follow the the rules of those in control who are most certainly clueless when it comes to the everyday American and how they survive.
But I love America and I pray mightily for the flawed government leaders to have their eyes opened to the destruction and great harm they are causing the country. It’s funny we turn off and disconnect things to save; then the prices still rise. My usage is down but not the price. Have you been keeping track of the federal taxes associated with utilities. On my phone bill and internet the federal charges go up by $$. Hmmm, state and county by a few cents. I pay over $9 a month for federal. State and county are way under that. GOD bless America
I always told my children “If you won’t listen to experience, you will have to learn it the hard way”. Our supposed “leaders” (and I use that term loosely) refuse to listen to the experts, so they will have to learn the hard way…and we the people will suffer for their failed radical progressive ideology.
History REPEATS Itself! . . . And Jackass Joe Biden HASN’T LEARNED that yet! . . . But HE WILL!
This needs to be on every radio station, and every news paper across the country. The people that are reading this already know this to be true. The people who need to read this are not getting it.
that is what we can look forward to if the liberal Marxists stay in charge
Germany’s Green Party has always been “Watermelon Green”; right from its inception this party founded with the help of the Soviet KGB has been Eco Green on the outside, and tits large inner core has been hard Communist Red!
Turning off the gas, coal and oil and having nothing in its place is Brandon’s plan.
It doesn’t work in Germany. Skyrocketed the cost of heating the people’s homes. Some of them they have 600-1000 euros heating bills a month. Bakeries have closed, restaurants are closing. These people had a thriving business till now.
It is coming here as well. And has it done anything to make the earth greener?
On paper they created a perfect world in reality they are destroying it and the people with it.
It is amazing that “so-called” intelligent people can’t figure out the end result of this so called “green revolution”. Once enough people freeze, die of heat, and starve the experts might start to tune in. Too bad it couldn’t be their families, friends and neighbors. Unfortunately and sadly way to many people need up front and personal to help them understand. What a bunch of feckless dolts.
Let this be a warning to America what is happening in Europe, by letting morons like the Biden Administration dictate energy policy, we are all eventually going to freeze to death in winter or die of heat stroke in the summer! Americans will have to get much smarter if this country is going to survive; and we can’t take it for granite that America can continue to exist much longer as a free, safe and prosperous country if we don’t throw every liberal Marxist Democrat out of office. 2024 can’t come soon enough! Go Trump!
Why are these liberal green new deal democrats so dense? Do they not recognize reality? I do not understand such stupidity. Only when they run out of places to put wind turbins and solar fields, when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow, maybe then they will wake up!
“congressional Democrats and the Biden administration continue to ram through their fanatical vision of a “green revolution” this is done at the behest of larry(the) fink, george soros, klaus schwab, and many unnamed billionaires who are looking for nothing other than to feed their “god like” complex to rule the world as they see fit. These people are mental misfits! Unfortunately, “useful idiots” are making it easier and easier for them to attain their goal.
Who benefits most of the green energy policies It certainly is not the consumer He is the one paying for the insanity Who profits from the misery of the population? When it comes to scam there is no shortage of ideas
One has to remember that a good portion of Germany and the rest of Western Europes energy problems lay in the fact that, acting like crazed terrorists, the US destroyed critical gas infrastructure belonging in part to Russia but also belonging to Germany. These supplies of natural gas fueled the energy needs of Germany and even allowed Germany to sell a good deal of excess natural gas to its European neighbors. The US acted no better than some suicide bomber blowing up some cafe somewhere……..with the exception being the destruction also came with a forced sale of US supplied energy to Europe as………well where else are they going to get it but from their string pulling masters?
EVERYONE in the Brandon Administration is lying (again), when they make up silly stories about 5 snorklers and one doctor lady having laid the tons of explosives that blew the pipeline. The world is now so distrustful of the US that they are pulling away from the dollar as if it were infected with Smallpox. When the dollar as a result collapses………maybe the lefty supporters of the blatant crook that stole his way into the White House will finally realize they have helped slit their own throats. Think of the US as becoming the next Venezuela. Ya ready to steal and eat meat from the local zoo? That and worse could very well be headed our way folks!
No worries from CA: No energy=No EVs
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. Revelation sixteen, nine. This was said two thousand years ago. It’s still in the future, but God is in control, and anyone wanting to avoid this must come to Him for salvation.
We need to be able to use gas. The country is slowly taking away all our choice of freedom. Be it gas cars or what ever. Now there are selling the gas rights in the oceans to others. We are closing ours self in to a communist government. We need to stop this government control. We are loosing it right down to freedom of speech in some states. Wake up people.
The Radicalized Far Left Demoncrat Socialist party along with the Deep Dark State and the World Economic Forum have Bought into the New Green Deal and New World Order!!!! This is all contrived by the World Elitist Against We the People, Our Rule of Law, Our Constitution and Our True America!!! O’Biden and his Handlers Have Attended the Past Two-Three (2-3) Annual World Economic Forum Conferences in Davos Switzerland and are Part of the “Elitist Group”!!!!! The Entire Climate Change Issue Has Been Weaponized Against We the People and Our True America!!!!
Wake Up Wise Up and Rise Up America!!!! This Anti-American Madness MUST be STOPPED!!!! We Are in Very, Very Serious, Grave and Dire Danger “From Within” By the Washington, DCeivers Along with China, George Soos and His Henchmen, The Clinton Foundation, The World Economic Forum (New World Order and New Green Deal), The United Nations (Globalism) and The Elitists!!!!
If permitted, the socialist democrats would be just like Germany, if not worse. The truth is that there is a lot of money one made in green energy and many politicians want their cut. There are a lot of “oil” people involved in modern green energy. Hmmmm, wonder why? $$$$$$$$$$ That’s what everything is about in America and many other countries.
One thing that socialists do not learn is how to learn from the past. They will inevitably repeat the same diasters, which is called insanity.
…..And, once again, Trump was prescient and correct……..
The wind/solar response to the climate alarm was not carefully researched.
The notion was made into a trap for those who mean well but aren’t smart/capable.
Why spend so much without knowing the cost/benefit relationship?
I hope more countries wake up to the folly of pushing for “green and clean” energy of wind farms, solar panels and electric car batteries. They are NOT RECYCLABLE! Landfills stacked with huge fan blades, solar panels and car batteries does not improve the environment. Wake up America and the world! Someone is getting rich on pushing this crap on the public and all we will end up with is massive acreages of rusting and broken wind turbines that no one will want to pay to clean up. And those charging stations for electric cars……they use gas to power them into electricity output! Smell the lies and stop being lead by your wallet into the next SCAM!
Across the western plains of Indiana, as well as other areas in the Midwest, wind turbines by the hundreds have sprung up like wild flowers. One can only imagine the total costs of these turbines, costs which will take years to recoup, if ever, regardless of any savings, thus drastically increasing the consumers’ out-of-pocket costs. Biden and his army of “useful idiot” Democrats and RINOS are pulling a huge snow job over the unsuspecting populace by completely hiding or ignoring the real costs to the economy and the American spirit by implementation of their so-called Green Climate fiasco.
GREEN IS GREAT. Just waite till the U.S and European Countries is on its knees begging for fossel fuel power. As the little lady in the kitchen hollard, no supper tonite. We dont have any electric to cook with. Kyle L.
If you think crude oil is used only to make gasoline and diesel for vehicles, you probably slept through high school science class. Many products, from aspirin to the polyester shirt on your back come from petroleum products. One of the most important – plastics – touches virtually everyone’s lives, from the styrofoam coffee cup you slurp your morning Joe from, to the bumper on your electric vehicle. Here’s the inescapable truth= If crude oil producers and refiners lose the market for gas and diesel, it will disincentivize them from exploration, production, and distribution of crude. This will drive up the cost of everything from plastic spoons to your precious smartphone.
I would love to ask these “Green Elites” what their electric cars will use for tires (synthetic rubber comes from petroleum) and what sort of road will they drive on (Asphalt comes from – you guessed it – petroleum). Even the batteries in those cars use plastics.
The dems mock Trump but he has been right on every issue, even when most of us thought he was wrong! America will be extremely fortunate if were not incinerated in a nuclear war before Trump can bring peace and common sense back to this great land.
socialism listens to no one including its own “masterminds”. even a superficial review of china, russia,germany,north korea, venezuela, history reveals the bloody facts.you have to be absolutely brain dead to fall for their lies.
If Germany joins in this folly, it deserves the “rewards” it will get.
Well, we certainly share in leadership folly as experienced in Germany. Just think of the arrogant stupidity these leaders display. Cut off reliable and affordable energy and expect the sun to make up the shortfall, along with the wind of course. They know this because the “follow the science” from some planet somewhere I guess.
We need a reset on leadership before we all go down with the ship!