Representatives of US think tanks in Berlin

From May 14 to 17, 2018,  representatives from renowned US think tanks learned about the German Energy Transition and discussed energy policy challenges for a successful transformation of the energy system in Germany and the USA during a visit in Berlin.

In Germany, the fundamental transformation of the energy system has been agreed upon politically and socially – although how the transformation should proceed in detail is still being discussed. While this kind of political will is not as strong in every part of the US, the country is facing many changes as well. Increasing oil and gas production, the resulting closures of coal and nuclear power plants, the strategy of "energy dominance" and questions of security of supply, as well as the increasing expansion of renewable energies, play a major role at state and federal level.

Against this background, representatives of US think tanks and the government of Washington State took part in a visit to Berlin on the state of the Energy Transition that was organized by adelphi. More than 25 US and German participants and speakers discussed current energy and climate policy in Germany; the challenges in the electricity, heating and transport sector; as well as public support and acceptance regarding the Energy Transition. Representatives of public and private institutions such as the Agora Energiewende, the Öko-Institut, and the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT) held short presentations. The individual sessions enabled in-depth inquiries and discussions and stimulating exchanges, along with a comparison of the two countries, and promoted the establishment of contacts for further cooperation.

Further information about the visit’s program, speakers, and presentations can be found here.

The trip was organized by adelphi on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in cooperation with The Renewables Academy (renac) and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) in Berlin. More information about forthcoming and previous events of similar format can be found on energy-dialogue.adelphi.de.