Germany has announced that it’s managed to hit an ambitious target for power generation.. producing 25% of the country’s energy from renewables, up from 21 percent in 2011.

The country produced 67.9 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy in the first half of 2012.. an increase of 19.5 percent from the same period the year before.

Wind energy is the largest contributor, accounting for 9.2 percent of energy output, and biomass accounted for 5.7 percent. Solar power comprised 5.3 percent of the total, and also saw the biggest increase — rising 47 percent. That makes Germany the biggest market globally for solar power, with its installed capacity accounting for more than a third of the total capacity of the entire world. The rest of the 25 percent total was made up of contributions from hydroelectric power and waste incineration plants.

The country’s energy industry association, BDEW, said in a statement that the milestone reinforced Germany’s position as a leader in green technology.

However, the country remains ten percent short of its primary target of achieving 35 percent of its total energy needs from renewables by 2035.

Meanwhile… back in the UK, it’s been leaked that Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osbourne’s father-in-law just happens to head a pro-gas lobby group funded by Shell and BP. Of course, we wouldnt suggest this has anything to do with Treasury desires to slash renewable subsidies by 25%… but Greenpeace seem to think it might…

“We’d hate to think that the UK’s direction of travel on energy policy was being decided over claret and duck chez Osborne. But Lord Howell’s links with big oil and gas special interests are well established. Questions must surely be asked about whether he has been bending the ear of his son-in-law to help his friends in the fossil fuel lobby.”

Louise Hutchins, senior energy campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said yesterday: