Germany to increase wind and solar power production

Germany intends to increase energy production from wind and solar farms by a further 8 gigawatts (GW) over the next three years as the government tries to compensate for its decision to abandon strict emissions targets.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democrat (SPD) junior coalition partners this year dropped plans to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

The decision was based on expectations that Germany would miss its national emissions target for 2020 without any additional measures because of strong economic growth and higher than expected immigration.