That German Renewable Energy Model

Seems to be working so well, doesn't it?

We've been told, endlessly, that the UK must have feed in tariffs so that we can develop a solar power industry, just like Germany has. One of the statistics bandied about is that one medium sized German town has more solar power than the entire UK.

They've also stuck windmills on every possible hillock and bump in the country. So, umm, hoe's it all working out then?

Senior German energy executives warned yesterday that Europe's biggest economy faces growing blackouts unless it follows the Franco-British lead in promoting new nuclear power stations.

They seized on a weekend report in the Guardian that Gordon Brown and French president Nicolas Sarkozy will unveil an alliance to build nuclear plants and export the modern technology worldwide at their "Arsenal" summit at the Emirates Stadium this week to press the case for Germany to pursue its own new nuclear renaissance.

As commentators said Germany risked being left behind, Wulf Bernotat, E.ON chief executive, said the country could face an electricity shortage of 12 to 21 gigawatts (GW), according to official estimates from the German energy agency (Dena).

"The conclusion arises: we still need nuclear power and we need modern gas- and coal-fired power stations that emit significantly less CO2," he told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.

How lovely. So even after all that splurging of subsidy on renewables, they still need to build nuclear stations.

So, umm, wouldn't it be a great deal simpler if we didn't bother with the renewables subsidies and just went straight to building the nuclear stations?