[woodandsteel]

That wikipedia article actually says just the opposite. According to it the hydro power was almost all built in the Soviet era, the wind is small agricultural units also built long ago with no large, modern installations, and there is virtually no solar power.

[ivan_gammel]

So what? Germany moved from 6% to 30% of renewable energy in 15 years, because they had policy and they invested. Russia started 10 years later. Every section of that article mentions investment projects in that kind of renewable energy that became possible only in recent years for economical reasons. And the investments in solar are not limited just to building of plants - government wants to build a manufacturing industry for them, which to me is the clear sign of interest and commitment.

[woodandsteel]

No, the article, talks about government intentions and plants that are being built, but almost nothing has been completed, and so at present there is virtually no solar energy in Russia, and virtually no new wind energy.

The problem here is that what the article talks about are government plans in an authoritarian regime, and as we all know from the history of Russia and many other authoritarian nations, it is quite common for such plans to never be actually carried out.

You know, you yourself said you don't like Putin, but you seem to trust the stories his tightly-controlled media put out on what Russia is doing about the environment and renewable energy. It seems to me that is rather contradictory.

[ivan_gammel]

I agree that plans tend to change, but there exist completed projects and there exists legislation in this field (it's almost impossible at this moment to pass a law that is disapproved by regime, so if anything exists it means there's very strong support of it). It's not that I trust state media, but it's always possible to verify what they've reported. Here are couple stories:

1. Energy efficiency: state corporation Rusnano (investment fund for supporting high tech manufacturing and research in nanotechnology and related fields) invested in manufacturing of LED lighting http://en.rusnano.com/portfolio/companies/optogan Meanwhile, Ministry of Energy gradually implements ban for manufacturing of 60W and higher light bulbs (100W already banned) and prohibition of use of such bulbs in state and municipal offices.

2. Renewable energy: Burbai Solar Plant launched in Dec 2015 by Rusnano, Hevel and Renova. 70% of components manufactured in Russia. http://en.rusnano.com/press-centre/news/20151102-rusnano-hev...