Municipal Utilities, Electric Cars and the Green Transition: An Analysis
The debate about whether the green transition is feasible is everywhere by now. Our municipal utilities, the Stadtwerke, play a key role in it. But how green are they really? The numbers from 2022 leave a lot to be desired: 22% renewables 14% natural gas 2% other fossil fuels 43% coal 20% nuclear With 60% fossil energy and 496g/kWh, the CO2 footprint is larger than the German average of 350g/kWh. Many argue that switching entirely to renewables is impossible and that it is better to be a “slow mover”. But is that really a sustainable position? The big question is always: what happens when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining? How much energy storage would we need (in the Bodenseekreis, the district on Lake Constance)? ...