A small country by the name of Denmark has set the ambitious goal of ending its use of fossil fuels, including in transportation, by 2050. Many question if the country can do this while keeping its current power levels. While some may see this as impossible, Danes see this goal as reachable. The country already gets over forty percent of its power from a renewable resource. They plan to be above fifty percent by 2020. Denmark isn't the only country pursuing more environmentally friendly power sources. Germany has spent a substantial amount of money on wind and solar energy. Germany is currently approaching 30 percent renewable power this year. The problem with these renewable resources is that they render conventional power plants uneconomical to run since wind and solar energy has no cost once installed. .
Even though there uneconomical, they are still needed as a backup supply for when the sun doesn't shine and when the wind doesn't blow. Governments hesitate to completely abandon power plants, fearing that they will be caught short of energy on a cold, windless night. The governments have provided subsidies of money to companies, knowing that they will soon go bankrupt. Governments also realize the need to redesign the electricity market, but do not wish to rush it in fear of putting clients in the dark. The Danes were geographically lucky since they were neighbors to Sweden, with a substantial amount of nuclear power, and Norway, with a power readily available from dams. Now, Swedish officials have agreed to shut down their nuclear plants and use renewable sources, and Norway's Hydroelectric power is rising in demand. The turn of events may mean trouble for the Danish electricity industry. If something isn't done soon, the country will be at risk for blackouts. If any European Countries, or American state, experience a blackout, support for the transition to renewable resources will dramatically decrease.
