German states’ energy ministers agree on non-partisan Energiewende policy approach

The energy ministers of Germany’s 16 federal states have agreed to strengthen their focus on the separation of key energy policy decisions from party politics, and to improve coordination between the individual state ministries, the Environment and Energy Ministry of the southern state of Baden-Wurttemberg says in a press release. The Energiewende is “so important” that it requires more than bilateral initiatives by the federal states, and needs to be freed from day-to-day party conflicts, the press release says. Energy policy competencies are not organised in the same way across federal states, sometimes being held by the environment ministry, other times by the economy ministry - but the great interest the conference in Baden-Wurttemberg generated among energy policymakers shows that better cooperation across state and ministry boundaries is necessary, the ministers say.

Find the press release in German here.

For background, read the factsheets Vote 2017: German parties’ energy & climate policy positions & From ideas to laws – how Energiewende policy is shaped and the article First 100 days - German government in disarray neglects energy policy.