Lessons for State and Provincial Legislators from Germany’s Energy Transition

Hosted by the Midwest-Canada Energy Subcommittee. This meeting looked at the energy policies, Energiewende, put into place in Germany to reduce carbon emissions. The plan would cut greenhouse gas emissions to near zero by 2050, with interim goals each decade until then. Presenters also discussed advances in new energy technologies, including hydrogen and batteries, which are key to meeting these goals. There was time for questions and discussion following the three sessions.

• Session 1: An overview of the German energy transition, the challenges and success stories to date in sectors such as electricity and transport, and lessons and strategies for states and provinces. Presenter: Katharina Umpfenbach, Senior Fellow, Ecologic Institute
• Session 2: Uses of hydrogen for energy and fuel – a review of the different types of hydrogen energy production, details on the value chain and demand sectors, the costs of hydrogen production and approaches for reducing these costs. Presenter: Matthis Brinkhaus, Senior Expert, Energy Brainpool
• Session 3: An overview of battery storage technologies for various applications, from energy to fuel. Presenter: Tobias Rothacher, Deputy Director, Energy, Building and Environmental Technologies, Germany Trade and Invest