Austria's largest state produces 100% electricity from renewables

http://phys.org/news/2015-11-austria-largest-state-renewable.html

Unfortunately, the title is made up of an extremely poor choice of words of “Austria's largest state goes 100% renewable” when what it really means is renewables for electrical production only but, still very impressive!
Good for them! Only complete morons will criticize them (in Austria's largest state ) for doing this.

Zambia has always have 100% renewable electricity. Although they are now going through major shortages and are I believe considering building coal plants (or have already done so, I haven't kept up).

Originally posted by twhitehead
Zambia has always have 100% renewable electricity. Although they are now going through major shortages and are I believe considering building coal plants (or have already done so, I haven't kept up).

Damn! Perhaps they could be persuaded to consider a combination of other options such as wind turbines on windy mountain slopes/tops (perhaps on the same mountains where they already got hydroelectric ) or solar panels on roofs etc? It would seem a pity to me for them to repeat the same mistakes we have made and become ever more dependent on the none sustainable fossil fuels.

Originally posted by humy
Damn! Perhaps they could be persuaded to consider a combination of other options such as wind turbines on windy mountain slopes/tops (perhaps on the same mountains where they already got hydroelectric ) or solar panels on roofs etc? It would seem a pity to me for them to repeat the same mistakes we have made and become ever more dependent on the none sustainable fossil fuels.

Solar would be a good option as would more hydro. There are not many places I know of with significant wind in Zambia, and transmission would be an issue if it wasn't near existing power lines. However, Zambia is relatively poor and somewhat mismanaged and the choices will depend largely on what funding is available and what politicians think they can benefit from. So if some influential politician owns a coal mine, then coal it is.
I agree that the third world should not follow in the first worlds footsteps, but if we do, then the first world should shut up about it (as in they shouldn't put any political pressure on us) until they have rectified their own mistakes.

Currently there are possible plans to put a dam in the gorges bellow the Victoria falls which most locals think is a mistake. It is not the best place for Zambia, but Zimbabwe is putting the pressure on because they do not have as many alternative sites as we do.