State premier says building up new jobs and infrastructure after lignite exit will cost 60 billion euros

As members of the coal exit commission met in the central German mining district of Saxony-Anhalt with local employers, politicians, and NGO representatives, Saxony-Anhalt’s state premier, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), reminded the commission members that they shouldn’t take the second step before the first. “The regions affected by structural change must first be shown realistic prospects for the future. Only then can steps be taken to reduce coal-fired power generation.” Experience with the end of hard coal mining in Germany had shown “that industry and the public sector will have to spend at least 60 billion euros to create jobs and infrastructure measures in the regions affected by the decline in coal-fired power generation”. The next coal exit commission’s meetings will take place in the Lusatia lignite mining region on 11 October, and then in Berlin on 12 October.

Follow the work of the coal commission CLEW’s Commission Watch here.