About me

From the beginnings in Hammelburg to the commitment to 100% Renewable Energy and Climate Protection worldwide

Born in 1952 in Hammelburg, after completing my school education, I studied physics and sports for teaching at secondary schools at the University of Würzburg. Following that, I worked as a high school teacher for twenty years, most recently at Humboldt Gymnasium Schweinfurt. Even during those years, I was very politically active, and I always had a deep concern for climate protection and renewable energy. In 1993, I introduced the world’s first feed-in tariff system for my hometown of Hammelburg and founded the world’s first cooperative for the production of solar energy. From 1999 to 2000, I served as a city councilor in Hammelburg and a district councilor in Bad Kissingen.

During my time as a member of the German Bundestag for the Bad Kissingen constituency, I drafted the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which was enacted and passed in the year 2000 despite numerous political obstacles. The EEG laid the foundation for the globally acclaimed technological development of photovoltaics, biogas, wind power, and geothermal energy in Germany. The basic principles of the EEG have since been copied over 100 times in more than 60 countries worldwide.

I also initiated the law for the tax exemption of biofuels. I actively contributed to the legal framework for renewable energies at the European and global levels. As the spokesperson for the research committee of the German Bundestag, I promoted the increase in research funding for photovoltaics, solar thermal power generation, geothermal energy, bioenergy, battery research for electric cars, bionics, and nanotechnology from 1999 to 2005. These increments in research funding were crucial foundations for the current global expansion of solar thermal power generation and the national expansion of geothermal power generation.

As a member of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag from 1998 to 2005, I supported the development of military training methods for de-escalation of violence, particularly at the Bundeswehr location in Hammelburg. This training to prevent violence in military operations is gaining international recognition, especially in the context of United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Even before and during my time in the German Bundestag, I actively advocated for 100% renewable energy worldwide and provided advice to parliaments and governments internationally on climate protection and the transition to an energy system based entirely on renewable energy. In 2006, I founded the Energy Watch Group (EWG), an independent, non-profit, global network of scientists and parliamentarians, which I preside over. Together, we analyze global developments in the field of energy and commission independent studies on energy-related topics. The study, „100% Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources Worldwide is Feasible and Cost-Effective,“ garnered worldwide attention from the media, politics, and academia. As the author of several books, I have published works such as „Global Cooling – Strategies Against Climate Protection Blockade.“

You can find my resume in both German, English and French here.