Germany's energy transition in the media on 20 October

Süddeutsche Zeitung

 "Don't follow the path of the dreamer"

 In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the head of the trade union for Mining, Chemicals and Energy (IG-BCE) expresses concerns over the Energiewende’s impact on for jobs in the industrial and the energy sectors. Michael Vassiliadis stressed that Germany still needs power from coal and gas as long as renewable sources account for no more than 25 per cent of power needs. He said that energy-intensive industries such as chemicals and the glass industry are moving investment abroad because of Germany’s high energy prices.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"Green-electricity levy is an aid to development" 

Angela Merkel (CDU) is still the “climate chancellor”, said Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks (SPD) in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Merkel and Hendricks, partners in the ruling grand coalition in Berlin from different parties, want to see greenhouse gas reduction targets of at least 40 per cent agreed by the member states at the EU summit later this week. Hendricks says Germany is well on the way to fulfilling its own CO2 reduction targets and setting a good example internationally – not least because the German model of the renewables surcharge paid by consumers via their electricity bills has helped lower prices for renewable technologies all over the world, making them in less wealthy countries.

 Neue Züricher Zeitung

 “Lignite in East Germany: Dancing around the brown gold”

 In the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany, brown coal is still considered a power source of the future – despite 70 per cent of electricity demand already being covered by renewable energies. Reporting from Welzow, where the expansion of a lignite mine threatens the village of Proschim and its 800 inhabitants, author Ulrich Schmid describes how the interests of politicians looking to protect jobs in the coal industry clash with the views of residents, environmental organisations and Green politicians who say lignite mining destroys the landscape, and that CO2-intensive coal burning undermines Germany’s climate targets.

For the article in German see here.