Should the Phoenix Arise; the Bateman Equation and Wind Energy.

[John ONeill]

18. 'Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels' - ?

'Four Member States also hit this milestone for the first time between January and June in 2024: Germany, Belgium, Hungary and the Netherlands.'
Belgium and Hungary only managed this alleged milestone because each already gets just under half their power from nuclear, making it an easy target. In the Netherlands, nuclear only made up 6% of generation last year, but the government has a firm intention to greatly increase this.
Germany's government has just collapsed. The next one is likely to be led by the Christian Democrats, who will try to repair the wreckage of the country's energy policy. Starting by turning back on the three huge reactors (1,400 megawatts each, with over 90% capacity factors) which the last government shut down at the end of 2022, in the middle of an energy crisis.
By the way, the January to June figures tend to flatter unreliables (wind and solar). July to December has more winter months, when power demand is higher, and solar output falls to nearly a tenth of summer max. Wind is higher on average, but can still go through periods of up to a month, with very low winds over the whole of northern Europe.