Greens irked by environmental organisation’s rejection of transmission highway

Environmental organisation Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) has annoyed its traditional allies the Green Party by rejecting the construction of the SuedLink and SuedOstlink power transmission highways, Christian Sebald writes in Süddeutsche Zeitung. BUND “firmly believes in a decentralised energy transition” and therefore challenges a national compromise that wants to minimise the transmission highway’s impact by laying them underground, Sebald says. The Greens regard construction of the transmission highways as inevitable and fear that the BUND’s adamant rejection might alienate political supporters. Eike Hallitzky, head of the Bavarian Greens, says his party’s conflict with the BUND was “painful”. “It’s as though your wife is berating you. Nobody likes that.”

Read the article in German here.