Massive Expansion of RE Not Incompatible with Reduction of Fossil and Nuclear Power
Between 2000 and 2017 the European Union (EU) added 291 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy (RE) power capacity, out of which 92% from wind and solar. At the same time the EU slightly reduced its fossil and nuclear power capacity; -2GW, and that despite adding 97GW of gas power capacity. That is because RE expansion in the EU is taking place at the expense of the most polluting and dangerous coal, oil, and nuclear power, which capacity significantly decreased by -41GW, -40GW, and -17GW, respectively, since the beginning of the century.
- Sources:WindEurope, Wind in power 2017 (February 2018)
These developments show that massively deploying wind and solar is not incompatible with reducing fossil and nuclear power, i.e. adding capacity from new variable RE do not require at all adding the same amount of conventional capacity to keep the system balanced.
