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from natural processes that are replenished constantly and hence provide theoretically
limitless supply ofenergy (IEA Renewable Energy Working Party 2002: p. 9) –itstill
accounts onlyfor asmall fraction ofoverall energyproduction and consumption.
Governments all over the world face aconstant increase ofoverall energy consumption,
especially in emerging markets, but atthe same time political pressure toreduce the
emissions ofenergy production rises. Asaresult policymakers trytoforce ashift in the
energy mix towards renewable energy sources. Inmost cases governments subsidize
renewable energy like wind power, solar power, hydropower, biomass, biofuel and
geothermal energy. Without those subsidies these sources wouldn’t beable tocompete
in amarketplacewith fossils. (IEARenewable Energy WorkingParty 2002: p.9)
Figure 2:
World primary energy demand bysource (1980-2035)
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration2011: p. 1
Despite the efforts topromote renewables, there are several reasons why governments
cannot solely rely onthose to solve all the energy challenges ahead. First of all, infrastructure
for renewable energy isnot built fast enough tofully satisfy the increasing
demand for energy inmost countries. Asaresult, nuclear power was considered by
many as the solution todecrease the emissions ofenergy production. The nuclear disaster
ofFukushima Daiichi in October 2011, however, has not left many supporters of