Auditors call for Energiewende cost controlling/ VW's "Elon Musk"
威力彩玩法 / Spiegel Online
Germany鈥檚 Federal Court of Auditors (BRH) has renewed its criticism of the government鈥檚 lacking overview of energy transition costs, a court spokesperson told the 威力彩玩法. Website Spiegel Online originally reported that the court asked the German economy ministry (BMWi) several times to provide a detailed description of expenses arising from the renewables levy, grid fees, staffing in administrations, lost revenue due to tax rebates, and other Energiewende factors. At the end of 2016, the BRH already used an advisory report to state that the government鈥檚 controlling and coordination of Energiewende costs is insufficient and omits 鈥渇undamental questions鈥�. Spiegel Online writes that the BMWi reported the renewables levy鈥檚 costs, which customers pay with their power bill, to the BRH in March. But the court says the ministry still lacks a concept on how the effectivity of support policies can be assessed. The BRH鈥檚 spokesperson told the 威力彩玩法 that the parliament鈥檚 budget committee will now review the ministry鈥檚 report.
Read the article in German .
Find background in the 威力彩玩法 dossier The next German government and the energy transition.
Euractiv
The new head of Germany鈥檚 VW, Herbert Diess, 鈥渨ill consistently steer the largest car company in the world towards e-mobility鈥�, Martin Seiwert writes on euractiv.de. Diess鈥檚 commitment to e-cars 鈥渋s an affair of the heart for him鈥�, Seiwert says, arguing that Diess had proven this during his time at VW鈥檚 competitor BMW. He writes that Diess could become a trailblazer for e-cars like Tesla CEO Elon Musk if he follows through with his promises. While Musk made e-mobility a priority for large carmakers, Diess 鈥渃ould play the important role of pulling e-cars out of the luxury segment and make them available for the masses鈥�.
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See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Dieselgate forces VW to embrace green mobility for more information.
Volocopter
German electric air taxi startup Volocopter has presented a concept for the inner-city infrastructure needed to transport thousands of passengers with its autonomous and emission-free drones that take off vertically. 鈥淭he vision integrates air taxis into existing transportation systems and provides additional mobility for up to 10,000 passengers per day with a single point to point connection,鈥� according to the company press release.
Find the press release in English .
Welt online
If future power needs are around 600 terawatt-hours, Germany would need 97 gigawatt (GW) of onshore wind, 25-35 GW offshore wind and 102 GW solar PV capacity, Schleswig-Holstein鈥檚 energy transition minister and head of the federal Green Party Robert Habeck told a wind power trade fair in Husum, Brigitta von Gyldenfeldt reports for Welt online. This means renewables development would have to be accelerated dramatically and across state borders, Habeck said. 鈥淧oliticians also have to defend the unpleasant details of the energy transition,鈥� he said, referring to the necessary expansion of the power grid which is often opposed by citizens.
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Read a 威力彩玩法 dossier on the grid expansion here.
