Dr. Annegret Groebel of the German Federal Network Agency discussed the insights and lessons learned from Germany’s Energiewende. She discussed how the Fukashima disaster led the German government to decide to phase out nuclear power. Given the government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewal energy’s contribution to the energy mix was the only way to replace the electricity generated by nuclear power. Dr. Groebel then discussed the technical and policy challenges of implementing that decision. The technical challenges included needing to transmit power from northern Germany, where there is more renewable power generation, to southern Germany, where industrial demand is greater, and to manage the greater volatility of power generation from renewables. The policy challenges included setting subsidies at an appropriate level to encourage the development of renewables without depressing prices and overcoming local opposition to transmission lines. Her talk was arranged by the Consulate General of Germany in Atlanta and was co-sponsored with the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy; the School of Modern Languages, and the Energy Club.