PART III: Contemporary Issues: Chapter 5: The Social Costs of Electricity Generation: Wind and Photovoltaic vs. Fossil and Nuclear Energy.

The article focuses on the social costs of electricity generation in Germany. The paper presents results of a research project on the total costs to society induced by different technologies for electric power production in the Federal Republic of Germany and conclusions of the latest international discussion on the topic. The problem of electricity costs is looked upon from a macroeconomic perspective including the internal costs as well as the social costs of electricity production. The paper focuses on conventional electricity generation on the basis of fossil and nuclear fuels on the one side and on wind and photovoltaic electricity as examples for renewable energy sources on the other.