Germany is phasing out Nuclear Power by 2022, and replacing it with renewable energy.
Here is the news on it >
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13597627
Yes, it CAN be done. Germany is going to do it - they are going to get 25% of their electricity from renewables such as wind and solar power, and by improving efficiency everywhere. Its a good plan.
There are naysayers. The Fossil Fools want us to believe that renewable energy will never be able to provide enough electricity for our needs without the help of coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power. As for efficiency, they don't want to talk about it > more waste = more coal burned, and more profits.
The horror of Japan's nuclear meltdown [because some generators got wet] is providing the urgency in this case - Germany feels very uncomfortable now that they see how easily things can go wrong with nuclear power plants. They don't trust them.
So, Germany is getting rid of ALL their nuclear power plants by 2022, and replacing it with renewables and efficiencies. Nuclear currently supplies 25% of Germany's electricity... That is a lot of renewable energy, but they believe they can do it.
In just 11 years!! Imagine if we had thought that way in 1990... we would be running renewable energy for 20 years and we would really be getting good at it. We might have 50% of our capacity from renewables by now.
Meanwhile, Germany has become a world leader in both wind and solar power - they have attracted the experts and they have set up factories to produce it, and they are exporting it. Its a good business all around - solar and wind installations are producing electricity and they are making profits allready, and as time goes by they profit more and more as the equipment is paid off.
* My favorite quote about the economics of renewable energy:
"Pay for it ONCE, and then it is FREE"
