German official: Renewable energy beats forecasts

[October 29, 2012]  BERLIN (AP) -- An official says the share of electricity in Germany produced by renewable energy sources is expected to easily beat the government's forecast and reach almost 50 percent by 2025.

Stephan Kohler, who heads the government-affiliated agency overseeing Germany's electricity grid, said Monday the current strong expansion of wind, solar and other renewable power sources will easily top the official target of 35 percent by 2022.

But the Federal Network Agency head stresses more and swifter investment is needed to upgrade the electricity grid to cope with the influx of unstable renewable energies.

Germany decided after Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster to speed up phasing out nuclear power. Renewable energies' share in the country's electricity production since rose from 17 percent to 25 percent, driven by subsidies and investment incentives.

[Associated Press]

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