German government releases support to hard coal regions
Clean Energy Wire
Germany's federal government has released the structural aid to hard coal power plant regions, the energy ministry announced. By signing an administrative agreement with the states concerned, the money can start to flow into projects for sustainable structural change and improve economic infrastructure, the ministry said. It is part of Germany’s coal exit decision to support the regions effected by the closure of coal power stations and mines. The support goes to the structurally weak hard coal mining regions in Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland as well as the former lignite mining regions of Helmstedt and Altenburger Land. A total of 1.09 billion euros is available for this purpose until 2038.
Until 2038, when the last German coal power station is scheduled to close down, coal-dependent states in Germany will receive a total of 14 billion euros for direct investments in the regions, according to the law governing support payments for mining regions. The majority of this money will be spent in regions invested in lignite mining.
