CDU, Greens at odds over coal exit / Industry worries about CO2 price
威力彩玩法
The approach to phasing out coal-fired power production in Germany has become a bone of contention between the prospective coalition partners, the conservative CDU and the environmentalist Green Party, as remarks made by both parties鈥� energy politicians at a conference organised by the Tagesspiegel newspaper in Berlin have shown. CDU politician Thomas Barei脽 conceded that a German coal exit was inevitable in the long run, but added that its speed and shape still needed to be clarified. Nevertheless, he said he was confident a coalition agreement could be hammered out between his CDU party, its conservative Bavarian sister party CSU, the market liberal FDP, and the Green Party. On the other hand, his Green counterpart, Julia Verlinden, said she was less certain that the talks, which are scheduled to start on 18 October, would lead to a coalition government. 鈥淰ery difficult talks lie ahead鈥�, Verlinden said, arguing that the speed and shape of a coal exit could not be the subject of a prolonged debate if Germany took its climate protection targets seriously. An eventual coalition agreement had to include a clear roadmap for an accelerated phase out and for a corresponding expansion of renewable energy sources.
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article German Greens confident pro-climate government coalition possible and the factsheet Climate & energy stumbling blocks for Jamaica-coalition talks.
The 威力彩玩法 will publish an article on this topic later today.
Reuters / CDU
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her conservative CDU/CSU bloc would begin exploratory talks on forming a so-called 鈥楯amaica鈥� coalition on 18 October, reports Reuters. That day, the CDU/CSU would hold separate talks with the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Green Party. 鈥淭hen on Friday, 20 October, we will have a first round of exploratory talks with all partners鈥�, Merkel told a joint news conference with CSU leader Horst Seehofer on 9 October. The CDU and CSU have agreed a compromise position on refugee policy, removing a major obstacle to pursuing coalition talks with other parties, reports Reuters.
See the Reuters articles in English and , and find a CDU press release in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article Coalition watch 鈥� The making of a new German government and the factsheets The long road to a new government coalition in Germany and Climate & energy stumbling blocks for Jamaica-coalition talks.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Ahead of the government coalition talks, industry representatives have voiced concern over recent proposals on CO鈧� pricing by German experts or French President Emmanuel Macron, writes Andreas Mihm in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 鈥淭he German industry needs reliefs, not additional burdens through a CO鈧� tax鈥�, Eric Schweitzer, president of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), told the newspaper. A CO鈧� pricing mechanism already existed within the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), and a national tax would be a double burden for German companies. Holger L枚sch, deputy director general of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), said: 鈥淎t best, the French nuclear power plants would profit, but not Germany as an industrial location.鈥�
Read the article in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article Experts call for CO2 price to retain Energiewende鈥檚 credibility.
German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE)
For 2018, the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) projects a slight decrease in the country鈥檚 levy to finance renewables expansion, the organisation says in a press release. The Renewable Energy Act (EEG) surcharge will drop to about 6.71 euro cents per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh), from the current 6.88 ct/kWh, writes BEE. Rising wholesale power prices would lower the support payments to renewable power producers. Furthermore, Germany鈥檚 鈥�green energy account鈥� has had a large surplus, which could be used to lower the levy on consumers. BEE calls for a CO鈧� price to lower total electricity prices for consumers further. Back in September, the think tank Agora Energiewende* projected a similar figure 鈥� 6.74 ct/kWh - for the 2018 levy.
Find the press release in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 factsheets Defining features of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) and What German households pay for power, and the news digest entry Renewables levy to decrease slightly in 2018 鈥� think tank.
*Like the 威力彩玩法, Agora Energiewende is a project funded by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.
Handelsblatt
This year鈥檚 projected slight decrease in Germany鈥檚 renewables levy (EEG surcharge) is not a turning point in the country鈥檚 energy transition, writes Klaus Stratmann in an opinion piece in Handelsblatt. Support payments for existing wind and solar power installations, guaranteed for 20 years, as well as those for new offshore wind parks would 鈥渞uin all hope for a turning point鈥�. 鈥淭he next federal government will have a lot of work to do in making the Energiewende financing more efficient鈥�, writes Stratmann. The proposed CO鈧� price might seem logical, but it might also 鈥渢hrow the overall structure off-balance鈥� if introduced parallel to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) and the EU ETS, writes Stratmann.
Find the opinion piece (behind paywall) in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 factsheets Defining features of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) and What German households pay for power, and the news digest entry Renewables levy to decrease slightly in 2018 鈥� think tank.
German Energy Agency (dena)
Germany can lower its CO鈧� emissions by 90 percent by 2050 if current technologies are used in the most efficient way for an ambitious transformation of the country鈥檚 energy system, writes the German Energy Agency (dena) in a press release. The next federal government must ensure that these technologies can compete in a market economy. 鈥淭he energy transition is feasible if we approach it determinedly, in a technology-neutral way, and in the context of a wide dialogue with stakeholders鈥�, said dena head Andreas Kuhlmann at a presentation of the interim results of a study the agency is currently working on with numerous energy transition actors. The study is meant to identify solutions and frameworks for a sustainable energy system by 2050. Technology-neutral scenarios prove better than those that, for example, focused too much on a high degree of electrification, writes dena. The sector-specific emission reduction targets set out in the Climate Action Plan 2050 have to be readjusted, says dena.
Find the press release in German , and the interim results in German .
