{"id":459757,"date":"2026-08-02T09:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T16:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=459757"},"modified":"2026-08-02T09:07:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T16:07:21","slug":"europes-green-self-destruction-ideology-instead-of-thermodynamics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=459757","title":{"rendered":"Europe’s Green Self-Destruction: Ideology Instead of Thermodynamics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The latest global energy data (2025) from the Energy Institute’s Statistical Review exposes a stark gap between EU rhetoric and reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Brussels and especially Germany champion a “pioneering green transition,”<\/strong> the world added energy across all sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fossils still supplied 86% of global primary energy<\/strong>, with demand growth continuing and renewables (led by solar) providing the largest incremental addition but not displacing fossils at scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Statistical-Review-of-World-Energy-2026-Summary-version.pdf<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EU’s Ambitious Path<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EU has pursued one of the world’s most aggressive decarbonization agendas<\/strong> through the Green Deal, Fit for 55, subsidies, carbon pricing (ETS), and mandates.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In electricity (the easiest sector to decarbonize):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Renewables reached ~47-50% of EU generation (2024-2025)<\/strong>, with wind + solar hitting records.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fossil power fell to historic lows (~29%)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Germany led the radical edge:<\/strong> nuclear phase-out completed in 2023, heavy renewables push, coal declining toward 2030-2038 targets. In 2025, German wind + solar overtook fossils in power for the first time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Power sector emissions dropped significantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Renewables scaled impressively thanks to policy and subsidies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thermodynamics and Economic Reality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Physics and economics tell a harsher story. Energy is not just about electricity<\/strong> \u2014 primary energy includes transport, heating, and industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Global fossils grew in absolute terms because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Demand rose<\/strong> (especially in Asia).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Intermittency requires<\/strong> backups, overbuild, storage, and grids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Dense, dispatchable sources<\/strong> (coal, gas, nuclear, oil) remain cheaper and more reliable for baseload and industry in many contexts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Germany’s Energiewende <\/strong>highlights the trade-offs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Highest electricity prices in Europe<\/strong> (often 2x US levels for industry).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Energy-intensive sectors<\/strong> (chemicals, steel, autos) contracted; plant closures and offshoring accelerated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Industrial production ~10% below 2018 peaks; <\/strong>energy-intensive output hit harder.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Extra emissions and costs from nuclear shutdown<\/strong> (replaced partly by fossils initially).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        EU-wide, high energy costs, grid bottlenecks, and negative pricing during surpluses reveal system inefficiencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The transition demands massive investment (hundreds of billions annually), financed partly by net contributors like Germany (~\u20ac19.5 bn net to EU budget in recent data) via shared mechanisms (NGEU, Green Deal funds). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        This redistributes burdens but doesn’t eliminate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Global Context: Self-Deception Exposed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • EU emissions<\/strong> are ~6-7% of global total and falling \u2014 laudable, but China (30%+) and others drive net global rises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • 2025:<\/strong> Fossils at record levels; solar stellar but total system still fossil- heavy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Europe reduced import dependence<\/strong> post-Russia but remains vulnerable (75% oil imports). Renewables help, yet gas\/coal backups persist.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Ideology vs. Thermodynamics:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Policy set ambitious targets assuming rapid substitution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Reality shows addition and substitution in a growing system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Dense, reliable energy underpins prosperity; forcing rapid change without all tools (e.g., nuclear retention) raises costs, erodes competitiveness, and risks deindustrialization.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Germany paid the highest price for its radicalism; the EU socializes some costs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Achievements exist \u2014 cleaner power, innovation, lower fossil dependence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          But pretending this is cost-free leadership ignores data: higher prices, industrial strain, limited global leverage, and a world still powered mostly by coal, oil, and gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A truth-seeking approach would prioritize abundant, affordable, low-emission energy via technology-neutral pragmatism (nuclear + gas bridge + renewables + efficiency) over ideological timelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The data doesn’t lie. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Europe’s green transition reveals more about political will than physical or economic inevitability. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Sustainable progress requires engineering reality over wishful targets.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Here’s a concise, evidence-based synthesis drawing from the latest Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2026, IEA data, and EU statistics.<\/p>\n

          It balances achievements with costs and realities, avoiding hype in either direction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":459759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Here's a concise, evidence-based synthesis drawing from the latest Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2026, IEA data, and EU statistics.\n\nIt balances achievements with costs and realities, avoiding hype in either direction.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691828519,691844413,691840518,691840914,691844414,691821414,691823322,691819094,691829876],"class_list":["post-459757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-economic-reality","tag-energy-institutes-statistical-review","tag-eu-emissions","tag-europes-green-transition","tag-fit-for-55","tag-germanys-energiewende","tag-green-deal","tag-renewable-green-energy","tag-thermodynamics","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1VBr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":457946,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=457946","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":0},"title":"EU\u2019s Pretense of \u2018Transition\u2019 Leadership Is an Economic Loser","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/26\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"An Energy Institute report reveals a Europe clinging to the pretense of leading an \u201cenergy transition\u201d as the continent declines under the weight of climate policies whose quixotically utopian objectives are negated elsewhere by fossil fuel-supported economic growth.","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-EUs-Pretense-of-%E2%80%98Transition-Leadership-Is-an-Economic-Loser.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-EUs-Pretense-of-%E2%80%98Transition-Leadership-Is-an-Economic-Loser.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-EUs-Pretense-of-%E2%80%98Transition-Leadership-Is-an-Economic-Loser.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-EUs-Pretense-of-%E2%80%98Transition-Leadership-Is-an-Economic-Loser.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0-ChatGPT-EUs-Pretense-of-%E2%80%98Transition-Leadership-Is-an-Economic-Loser.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":398411,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=398411","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":1},"title":"‘Green’ Europe’s Industrial Masochism","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/28\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"If a self-described leader finds that nobody is following, is leadership present? Perhaps. The next question might be, where is the leader headed?","rel":"","context":"In \"Energiewende (Energy Transition)\"","block_context":{"text":"Energiewende (Energy Transition)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energiewende-energy-transition-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQPQaac8NLNiiqnpJyGa_LBl3e7O_w-pW84gECAaiukR6Wz2Aq-lexFtZMG9EEGAkbYYnc9igZnm7Y33pouJhP6dwk0GUC2CyIPja_YT-uiZ4-t7RA8BPE7It1jGBePPeZ5g1WKTHi4u4k5FI2xBN0PSVjKD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQPQaac8NLNiiqnpJyGa_LBl3e7O_w-pW84gECAaiukR6Wz2Aq-lexFtZMG9EEGAkbYYnc9igZnm7Y33pouJhP6dwk0GUC2CyIPja_YT-uiZ4-t7RA8BPE7It1jGBePPeZ5g1WKTHi4u4k5FI2xBN0PSVjKD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQPQaac8NLNiiqnpJyGa_LBl3e7O_w-pW84gECAaiukR6Wz2Aq-lexFtZMG9EEGAkbYYnc9igZnm7Y33pouJhP6dwk0GUC2CyIPja_YT-uiZ4-t7RA8BPE7It1jGBePPeZ5g1WKTHi4u4k5FI2xBN0PSVjKD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQPQaac8NLNiiqnpJyGa_LBl3e7O_w-pW84gECAaiukR6Wz2Aq-lexFtZMG9EEGAkbYYnc9igZnm7Y33pouJhP6dwk0GUC2CyIPja_YT-uiZ4-t7RA8BPE7It1jGBePPeZ5g1WKTHi4u4k5FI2xBN0PSVjKD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AQPQaac8NLNiiqnpJyGa_LBl3e7O_w-pW84gECAaiukR6Wz2Aq-lexFtZMG9EEGAkbYYnc9igZnm7Y33pouJhP6dwk0GUC2CyIPja_YT-uiZ4-t7RA8BPE7It1jGBePPeZ5g1WKTHi4u4k5FI2xBN0PSVjKD.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":264198,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=264198","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":2},"title":"BP Energy Review\u00a02022","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/27\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Nevertheless, the spreadsheets still look the same, and we can ignore a lot of the fluff published in the EI report, as the chart below tells us all we really need to know","rel":"","context":"In \"Net zero\"","block_context":{"text":"Net zero","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=net-zero"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0SFWOJ472VFPU5Z2YZ2P4YJL25A.jpg?fit=1200%2C829&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0SFWOJ472VFPU5Z2YZ2P4YJL25A.jpg?fit=1200%2C829&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0SFWOJ472VFPU5Z2YZ2P4YJL25A.jpg?fit=1200%2C829&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0SFWOJ472VFPU5Z2YZ2P4YJL25A.jpg?fit=1200%2C829&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/0SFWOJ472VFPU5Z2YZ2P4YJL25A.jpg?fit=1200%2C829&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":248137,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=248137","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":3},"title":"Reality Bites: Europe\u2019s Wind & Solar Disaster Forces Serious Reversal On \u2018Green\u2019 Transition","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/17\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Investment in new wind turbines and solar panels has plummeted across Europe. Coal-fired power is back in vogue and nuclear plants are the next must-have.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1a4120207027627f0b.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1a4120207027627f0b.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1a4120207027627f0b.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1a4120207027627f0b.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/1a4120207027627f0b.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":249099,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=249099","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":4},"title":"World Energy Data Confirms Fossil Fuels Will Dominate Future Global Energy Use","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/22\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0government leaders of the U.S., EU and UK can\u2019t seem to\u00a0bring themselves to\u00a0acknowledge that global energy outcomes regarding the world\u2019s future energy growth, fuel use as well as emissions growth is out of their control and has been for years.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-926.png?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-926.png?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-926.png?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-926.png?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-926.png?fit=1200%2C549&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":334281,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=334281","url_meta":{"origin":459757,"position":5},"title":"Despite spending $1.8 Trillion on \u201cclean energy\u201d last year, the world is still 81% fossil fueled \u2014 burning more than ever!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/23\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We spent $1.77 Trillion dollars on the clean energy transition last year, yet our fossil fuel use is still rising and our emissions are still increasing.","rel":"","context":"In \"2023\"","block_context":{"text":"2023","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=2023"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/0iStock_000071434881_Full-1.webp?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/0iStock_000071434881_Full-1.webp?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/0iStock_000071434881_Full-1.webp?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/0iStock_000071434881_Full-1.webp?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/0iStock_000071434881_Full-1.webp?fit=1200%2C781&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/0-Europes-Green-Self-Destruction-Ideology-Instead-of-Thermodynamics.jpg?fit=1168%2C784&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=459757"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459757\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":459792,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459757\/revisions\/459792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/459759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=459757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=459757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=459757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}