Germany Responds to Donald Trump’s Lies About German Electrical energy Grid

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Germany might not have preferred being pulled into Donald Trump’s closing arguments on the debate final evening, or possibly it did, however in both case, the nation has responded. Specifically, the German International Workplace took to X to appropriate the report.

As I wrote earlier at the moment, in his closing arguments, Donald Trump acknowledged the next: “You consider in issues like we’re not going to frack. We’re not going to take fossil gasoline. We’re not going to do, issues which can be going to make this nation robust, whether or not you prefer it or not. Germany tried that and inside one 12 months they have been again to constructing regular vitality crops. We’re not prepared for it.”

As somebody who has adopted the German vitality story for greater than a decade, I didn’t even know what he was attempting to say. And I definitely didn’t know why Trump thought it was a subject to convey into his closing arguments. Representatives of Germany, nonetheless, appeared to seek out it humorous, in addition to a possibility to spotlight the work the nation has finished to advance clear vitality.

That is what the German International Workplace tweeted: “Prefer it or not: Germany’s vitality system is absolutely operational, with greater than 50% renewables. And we’re shutting down – not constructing – coal & nuclear crops. Coal can be off the grid by 2038 on the newest. PS: We additionally don’t eat cats and canine. #Debate2024”

Prefer it or not: Germany’s vitality system is absolutely operational, with greater than 50% renewables. And we’re shutting down – not constructing – coal & nuclear crops. Coal can be off the grid by 2038 on the newest. PS: We additionally don’t eat cats and canine. #Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/PiDO98Vxfo

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) September 11, 2024

Right here (and on the high of this text) is a chart from Fraunhofer Institute for Photo voltaic Vitality Programs ISE:

As you possibly can see there, wind vitality alone, which has been Trump’s favourite clear vitality supply to hate on, attempt to block, and unfold false claims (i.e., lies) about, produced extra electrical energy within the first half of the 12 months in Germany than brown coal, arduous coal, and pure gasoline mixed! Wind vitality alone. The vitality supply that’s supposedly too unreliable and causes most cancers, in accordance with famous scientist Donald Trump.

Photo voltaic vitality, in the meantime, has already surpassed pure gasoline and arduous coal and is near surpassing brown coal. When it does that, it’ll develop into the second-largest supply of electrical energy in Germany, solely trailing wind vitality. (Nicely, in case you mix arduous coal and brown coal, it’ll nonetheless be third, but it surely received’t be too lengthy till it climbs above their mixed output.)

It’s humorous — of all of the international locations to attempt to spotlight to lie about renewable vitality and declare “we’re not prepared for it,” Germany has bought to be one of many absolute worst. It makes you marvel what sort of prep Trump did for the controversy and for his closing argument, or simply how a lot he’s capable of preserve a prepare of thought or keep centered. It additionally makes you marvel the place the heck he’s getting his data. Attacking renewable vitality and utilizing Germany for instance? It’s simply bonkers. Perhaps, because the German International Workplace alludes, it’s not as bonkers as spreading misinformation about immigrants consuming their neighbors’ cats and canine, but it surely’s nonetheless bonkers. It’s straightforward to say that the claims about Germany are comparatively minor in comparison with different issues Trump says, however they’re nonetheless objectively ridiculous. Let’s watch out to not normalize clownish, ridiculous, and dangerously silly conduct and statements.