The essay provides an historical overview of the German transition to a post-fossil energy regime. It stresses the crucial link between the nuclear phaseout, the demise of monopolies in the electric power sector, and the creation of a context for investments in wind and solar power. It shows that the present strength of the German renewable electric power sector is the product of a favorable climate for these investments between 1990 and 2000. With the last major bottleneck now several decades in the past, it seems imperative to comment on long-term investments and sophisticated political housekeeping and to challenge energy mythologies that fail to make the crucial link outlined above.