Germany - California
Learning and Collaboration Tour 2014
What was the Learning & Collaboration Tour?
In March 2014, the Renewables 100 Policy Institute, in collaboration with several foundations, research institutions, government offices, and others, organized a tour to Germany by top level California grid operators and energy regulators to meet with their German counterparts and discuss common challenges and solutions.
Why this kind of Tour?
Germany and the State of California are both widely recognized and globally respected leaders in the fields of environmental protection and energy. They are both frontrunners, Germany in the European Union and California in the United States, and they both enjoy overwhelming support from their citizens to pursue ambitious paths to greater integration of renewables and aggressive greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. Both also recognize that power grids and the role of transmission infrastructure are critical to a reliable, flexible and predominantly renewable resource based electricity system. Therefore, it was clear that a high level delegation exchange focused on these areas would benefit both California and Germany.
The primary objectives of the Tour were to:
– Gain insight into the Energiewende (German energy transition) and related policies
– Learn how German grid operators are adapting to growing quantities of intermittent resources
(such as wind and solar) on the grid.
– Since Germany also has ambitious GHG reduction policies, discover German frameworks for encouraging deployment of new clean energy technologies and market mechanisms that support the deployment of renewables in the energy, heating and transportation sectors.

How to Learn More
The Renewables 100 Policy Institute has put together a report consisting of a detailed summary of the Tour, along with top takeaways, recommendations, and next steps that emerged during the packed and inspiring five-day trip. Also available is a photo gallery and a series of video highlights from the Tour.
Click on the links below.
(we’re updating our site – soon more updates)
Photo Gallery
Energy Storage Duesseldorf,Germany
Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair Angelina Galiteva with David Lerch, Advisor to the Germany Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety
Hildegard Mueller, Chairwoman of BDEW (German Association of Energy and Water Industry), Fraunhofer ISE President Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber
German Federal Environment Agency General Director of Sustainable Strategies Harry Lehmann, Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair Angelina Galiteva
German Federal Environment Agency General Director of Sustainable Strategies Harry Lehmann, North Rhine-Westphalia Environment Minister Johannes Remmel, Fraunhofer ISE President Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber, Deputy Managing Director Messe Düsseldorf Hans Werner Reihna
Fraunhofer ISE President Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber, Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair Angelina Galiteva, Chair of the California Energy Commission (CEC)Robert Weisenmiller, California Public Utilities Commissioner Carla Peterman
California Keynote Panel
California Keynote Panel: Robert Weisenmiller, Chair of the California Energy Commission (CEC), Michael Picker, California Public Utilities Commissioner Carla Peterman, California Public Utilities Commissioner; David Hochschild, Commissioner at the California Energy Commission
Stephen Berberich, President and CEO, California Independent System Operator (CAISO), David Olsen, CAISO Governor, Dr. Christopher Hebling Fraunhofer ISE
Keith Casey, Vice President, Market and Infrastructure Development CAISO; David Hochschild, Commissioner at the California Energy Commission; Stephen Berberich, President and CEO, California Independent System Operator (CAISO; Philipp Kunze
Hydrogen/Power to Gas, with Dr. Sterner
Hydrogen/Power to Gas, with Dr. Sterner and Dr. Christoper Helbling
Meeting with Frank Wouters, Deputy Director-General at International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), with David Olsen, CAISO Governor
Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair Angelina Galiteva, Irm Scheer-Pontenagel, Managing Director at Eurosolar
Fraunhofer ISE President Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber, Antonella Battaglini, Founder and Executive Director of the Renewables-Grid-Initiative.
Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair Angelina Galiteva; Janice Lin, Chair of the Executive Committee and Member of the Board of Directors at Global Energy Storage Alliance
Angelina Galiteva, Renewables 100 Policy Institute Board Chair; Miguel Berger, German Foreign Ministry, Commissioner for Energy and Climate; George Noll International Energy Policy Advisor at German Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Harry Lehmann, General Director Sustainable Strategies at German Federal Environment Agency
Harry Lehmann, General Director Sustainable Strategies at German Federal Environment Agency
Wrap-Up Dinner with Harry Lehmann, General Director Sustainable Strategies at German Federal Environment Agency; Matthew Tisdale; Prof Dr. Eicke Weber, Director of Fraunhofer ISE; Angelina Galiteva, Renewables 100 Policy Institute; David Lerch, Advisor to the Germany Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and our dinner-host Dr. Martin Schöpe, Head of Division, International and EU Affairs, Renewable Energy, BMU