“Energiewende regulations burden textile industry”

The high costs of Germany’s energy transition are damaging German industry's competitiveness with negative impacts on the clothing and textile sector, says Bodo Bölzle, president of textile industry association Südwesttextil, according to an article by Südwest Presse. “Electricity here is more expensive than in most other industrial nations, just because of the ever rising EEG [Renewable Energy Act]-surcharge,” said Bölzle. German textile associations founded the “Alliance for a fair Energiewende” which calls for the energy transition to be financed through national taxes, instead of the EEG-surcharge, which is paid by consumers. Currently, however, the order situation in the textile industry is stable and companies belonging to Südwesttextil saw an increase in sales of 1.2 percent in the first half of 2016, writes Südwest Presse.

Read the article in German here.

Find the position paper of the “Alliance for a fair Energiewende” in German here.