"CO2 price favours France" / Three-country nuclear protest
Die Welt / P枚yry Management Consulting
French President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 would give France an 鈥渆normous competitive edge鈥� over Germany, as his country鈥檚 energy supply is based mostly on emission-free nuclear and hydro power, according to , Daniel Wetzel reports in Die Welt. A price of 30 euros per tonne CO鈧� 鈥� reported by news agency Bloomberg 鈥� would see Europe reach its CO鈧�-reduction goals faster, but increase power prices in Germany by about 40 percent. This would put export-oriented, energy-intensive industry at a disadvantage, the consultancy says in a press release.
Read the article in German and find the press release in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article Experts call for CO2 price to retain Energiewende鈥檚 credibility and the 威力彩玩法 dossier Energiewende effects on power prices, costs and industry.
Tageszeitung (taz)
With a human chain stretching over three countries, activists in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are to protest against the incident-prone Belgian nuclear plants Tihange and Doel, Tobias M眉ller writes in Tageszeitung (taz). The organisers of the international human chain expect around 60,000 people to take part in the campaign next Sunday. 鈥�There have been many protests against Tihange in the region in recent years. But never something of this magnitude,鈥� M眉ller writes.
Read the article in German .
For background on Germany鈥檚 nuclear exit, see the 威力彩玩法 dossier The challenges of Germany鈥榮 nuclear phase-out.
威力彩玩法
The chief of Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 chancellery, Peter Altmaier, has said that while Germany is intent on meeting its 2020 emissions-reduction goals, it was not clear it would succeed. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know if we鈥檒l make it,鈥� Altmaier said at the debate forum鈥淪ustainability and climate protection: What roadmap do the parties have?鈥�, organised by NGOs Climate-Alliance Germany, VENRO and Deutscher Naturschutzring in Berlin. Germany鈥檚 2020 goal is to cut emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 levels. But since 2009, when emissions were extraordinarily low due to the financial crisis鈥檚 effect on the economy, Germany鈥檚 CO2 balance has remained largely stagnant. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had enormous economic growth during this period while keeping emissions stable,鈥� Altmaier said. He stressed that international climate diplomacy had come to a crucial point, describing the G20 consensus on curbing CO2 levels as 鈥渧ery fragile鈥�. He warned that the Paris Agreement had to be kept at all costs, particularly after the Trump administration鈥檚 announcement to pull the US out of the international deal. Altmaier rebuffed US calls to renegotiate the accord, saying 鈥渨e鈥檝e already negotiated for 10 years.鈥�
For background, see the 威力彩玩法 dossier The energy transition and climate change and the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Germany鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions and climate targets.
威力彩玩法
The Social Democrats鈥� (SPD) deputy chair Ralf Stegner has said that as far as he is concerned, the German coal exit is not a question of 鈥渋f鈥� but 鈥渉ow.鈥� At the debate forum鈥淪ustainability and climate protection: What roadmap do the parties have?鈥�, organised by NGOs Climate-Alliance Germany, VENRO and Deutscher Naturschutzring in Berlin, Stegner said Germany had to implement the necessary measures to 鈥渕ake sure we meet our climate goals鈥�. Stegner did not say by when he saw an end to coal-fired power production feasible. However, he stressed that his native northern German region of Schlewsig-Holstein, with its large wind power industry, showed that 鈥渞enewables can be the foundation of structural economic change.鈥�
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheets When will Germany finally ditch coal? and German onshore wind power - output, business and perspectives for background.
Dow Jones Newswires
German utility E.ON鈥� chief operating officer for grids and renewable energies, Leonhard Birnbaum, demands a change to the country鈥檚 onshore wind power auctions to ensure that professional wind power project developers cannot benefit from advantages given to citizens鈥� energy projects, Dow Jones Newswires reports. In Germany鈥檚 first wind power auction in May, citizens鈥� initiatives appeared to secure the lion鈥檚 share of projects, but evidence now suggests many of these bids 鈥渋n reality were made by professional project developers,鈥� the article says. Birnbaum seconded a call by turbine manufacturer Enercon for all bidders, regardless of their commercial status, to be required to submit the so-called immission law license (BImschG) to take part in auctions.
See the 威力彩玩法 article Citizens鈥� energy projects dominate first onshore wind power auction and the 威力彩玩法 factsheet From survey to harvest: How to build a wind farm in Germany for more information.
Der Tagesspiegel Online
Conflict of interests between wind power production and wildlife protection is 鈥渕arginal if we look at the alternatives,鈥� the head of the German Green Party鈥檚 parliamentary group, Anton Hofreiter, says in an opinion piece for Der Tagesspiegel Online. 鈥淣uclear- or coal-fired power production will only make matters worse,鈥� Hofreiter argues, saying the potential environmental harm from these technologies is of far greater concern than that of wind power. Hofreiter says it鈥檚 necessary to counter 鈥渁ll attempts to inflate and exploit a conflict in order to stall the energy transition.鈥� While it鈥檚 necessary to ensure wind farms enjoy local acceptance and meet ecological standards, 鈥渇ossil energies are the greatest global threat to the environment.鈥�
Find the article in German .
For more information, see the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Fighting windmills: When growth hits resistance.
Federal Environment Ministry
German environment minister Barbara Hendricks said a complete shift of the country鈥檚 energy supply to renewable sources can be done with minimal environmental impact. In an environment ministry (BMUB) press release, Hendricks presented five guidelines meant to ensure the transition鈥檚 compatibility with environmental protection. They include greater energy efficiency and expanding eco-friendly technology in residential areas, such as rooftop solar installations or heat pumps. 鈥淲e cannot conserve biodiversity without a worldwide energy transition,鈥� Hendricks said. She added that while sun and wind 鈥渁re available unlimitedly, the available space to construct installations remains limited.鈥�
See the press release in German and the ministry鈥檚 guidelines in German .听听听
Welt Online
Peter Mosch, head of the workers鈥� council of German carmaker Audi, has criticised a management decision to locate production of the company鈥檚 second electric car abroad, Philipp Vetter reports on Welt Online. 鈥淚f the company management shows no perspectives for filled production lines in Germany, but only for factories abroad, resentment is understandable and justified,鈥� Mosch said. The VW-subsidiary Audi plans to build its second e-car in a factory in Belgium, where it also assembles its first electric model, an e-SUV slated for market introduction in 2018. Mosch said 鈥渉igh volumes of cars with alternative engines鈥� should also be built in Germany, Vetter reports.
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet The Energiewende and German carmakers for more information.
dpa / Welt Online
After two years of construction and trial phases, German utility EnBW鈥檚 subsidiary TransnetBW is beginning operation of its central control room, dpa reports in an article carried by Welt Online. The grid operator intends to manage the Baden-Wuerttemberg鈥檚 grid, which has come under strain due to the country's increased reliance on renewable energy sources. 鈥淪ince the number of power sources increases significantly, intelligent allocation with modern technology becomes more and more important,鈥� the article says, calling the facility a 鈥渃entral element of the energy transition.鈥�
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 dossier Utilities and the energy transition for background.
