'Mr. Energiewende' resigns, criticises coalition / Growing car fleet
威力彩玩法
Energy state secretary Rainer Baake has quit after four years in charge of Germany鈥檚 flagship Energiewende policy at the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Baake, a Green Party politician whose appointment by then economy minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) came as a surprise at the time, criticised the new government鈥檚 energy and climate plans in a resignation letter seen by the 威力彩玩法. The plans for the energy transition (Energiewende) in the new coalition agreement were a 鈥渂itter disappointment鈥�, Baake wrote to incoming energy and economy minister Peter Altmaier (CDU). The new government was 鈥渕issing out on the opportunity to thoroughly modernise Germany鈥檚 economy鈥�, Baake said, adding that forces who wanted to preserve old and "climate-damaging鈥� structures had apparently been stronger.
During his time in office, Baake oversaw the reform of the core Energiewende legislation, the renewable energy act EEG, which included the shift from feed-in tariffs to a tender system, a move heavily criticised by the renewable energy industry. Baake, who has been dubbed 鈥淢r. Energiewende鈥� by German media for his expertise and his key role in the country鈥檚 energy policy, also repeatedly locked horns with utilities and the coal miners' union. He proposed a 鈥�coal levy鈥� in order to cut emissions from coal power plants. Instead, some lignite plants were transferred to a paid 鈥�security standby鈥� reserve, before being closed down permanently.
Ever since Chancellor Angela Merkel decided to hand the energy ministry in the coalition government with the Social Democrats to her close ally Altmaier, Baake鈥檚 future at the ministry had been uncertain. Saxony鈥檚 state premier Michael Kretschmer (CDU) Baake鈥檚 resignation last week, saying that he was responsible for 鈥渋deologically charging up energy policy鈥�.
CDU Economic Council
In a document named Energy Agenda 2030, the Economic Council of German Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 conservative CDU has issued a 鈥渓ist of demands鈥� for designated economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier. A 鈥渞eadjustment鈥� of Germany鈥檚 energy and climate policy 鈥渢owards more market and more Europe鈥� was necessary to ensure that the energy transition can be continued with success, said the Economic Council鈥檚 secretary general, Wolfgang Steiger. The Conservatives鈥� council says Germany鈥檚 energy system needs to become more flexible and innovative, which was being hampered 鈥渄ue to politically imposed high power prices鈥�. The council argues that 鈥渘o other state in the EU has saved more CO2 emissions than Germany in the past 30 years鈥�, and it was now necessary to 鈥渘ot talk this success down鈥� but rather to strengthen it. The council rejects a carbon floor price in Germany and wants to 鈥渟trengthen and expand鈥� the EU emissions trading system (ETS) instead. It also argues that Germany鈥檚 Renewable Energy Act (EEG) 鈥渉as fulfilled its purpose鈥� of funding the expansion of renewable energy sources and needed to be 鈥減hased out鈥� as wind and solar power have become competitive.
The CDU's Economic Council is no internal party organ but rather a business association positioning itself close to the CDU's economic policy principles.
Find the council鈥檚 press release in German and the Energy Agenda 2030 in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 interview with government energy policy advisor Andreas L枚schel for more information.
Federal Motor Transport Authority
The number of cars and trailers in Germany has risen by 1.1 million in 2017 to a total of 63.7 million, the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) says in a press release. The most used brand is VW with 21.5 percent, followed by Opel (9.8 percent) and Daimler (9.4 percent). The most used engine types are petrol with 65.5 percent and diesel with 32.8 percent. The number of electric cars rose by over 58 percent to roughly 53,860 cars, and that of hybrid cars by 43 percent to 236,710, the KBA says.
Germany's 82.6 million in 2017.
Read the press release in German .
Handelsblatt
The head of Germany鈥檚 largest carmaker VW, Matthias M眉ller, has said his company is of 鈥渟ystemic鈥� relevance for the country and therefore must not be financially overburdened with costs accruing from a retrofitting of manipulated diesel cars, Daniel Delhaes writes in Handelsblatt. M眉ller said the hardware changes that need to be made in a diesel engine to bring exhaust emissions down to advertised levels would cost between 1,500 euros and 7,000 euros per car, arguing that the 25 billion euros the company had to pay for fraud in the US were enough. 鈥�We cannot pay another 17 billion for hardware retrofitting,鈥� M眉ller said.
Read the article in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 article Court ruling opens door for diesel bans in German cities for background.
pv magazine
German utility EnBW has purchased German battery storage provider Senec in a bid to strengthen its position in a decentralised and renewable energy system, pv magazine reports. Senec Managing Director Maximilian von Grundherr said that the move will allow the company to continue to roll out new business models for battery storage. 鈥淭he strategies and cultures of our companies are a perfect match,鈥� said von Grundherr.
Read the article in English .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet How can Germany keep the lights on in a renewable energy future? for more information.
The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) is taking legal action against the controversial natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, which is supposed to connect Germany with Russia via the Baltic Sea. The NGO says the offshore pipeline will cut through several marine protection areas and might lead to 鈥渋rreversible damage鈥� to the environment. German authorities have given the go-ahead for the pipeline for May 2018 but NABU argues that the licensing did not follow due process.聽 It argues that the project鈥檚 management did not publish important data on the operation of its first pipeline project Nord Stream 1 and also did not go through a complete environmental compatibility assessment.
Find the press release in German .
Handelsblatt
The growing importance of wind and solar power generation in Germany leads to the shutdown of another coal plant, J眉rgen Flauger writes in Handelsblatt. Energy provider STEAG will close the hard coal-fired power plant at its founding location in L眉nen in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). STEAG started retiring the first generating units at the location in 2015, as the German power market has been 鈥渇looded鈥� with renewable energy sources, Flauger says. 鈥淓nvironmentalists might cheer over the shut-down of the old coal plant,鈥� he writes, adding that 鈥渢his trend could be dangerous for supply security鈥� in times of little wind and sunshine. The plant in L眉nen 鈥渨as not in operation very often, but it has been recurrently needed during the winter months鈥�.
Read the article in German (paywall).
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheet Coal in Germany for more information.
Federal Environment Ministry
The coming EU budget must 鈥渓ead the way for investments in climate action鈥� and set an example for 鈥�steering investments in the right direction鈥�, Germany鈥檚 environment minister Barbara Hendricks says in a press release by the environment ministry (BMUB). Together with 13 other environment and climate ministers from EU countries, the so-called Green Growth Group, Hendricks has sent a letter to the EU Commission, arguing that subsidies 鈥渘ot in line with the Paris Agreement should be discontinued as quickly as possible鈥�.
Read the press release in English .
