The European Union (EU) and its Member states, especially Germany, are often cited as world leaders in alternative energy efforts. However, up close, here inside Europe, the story looks more complex. While a broad social and political consensus has long favored Germany's national Energiewende (Energy Transition program), new political- and ecological-based opposition to the plan has arisen; especially with costs running very high for citizens and business. Will Germany - and the EU - make course corrections to learn from experience? This lecture will look at how the EU deals with differing regional political, ecological, and economic interests and whether it is able to provide answers and solutions that could be useful for other global players like the USA.