Power levies big industry concern/ Parties debate potential coalitions
DIHK / Die Welt
Additional charges on electricity levied by the state are one of the greatest concerns of Germany鈥檚 industrial companies, Daniel Wetzel writes in Die Welt. According to a survey conducted by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) among 2,250 companies, lower charges on electricity is the industry鈥檚 most important energy policy demand for Germany鈥檚 next government, Wetzel says. Additional levies like the renewables surcharge or grid fees now account for 81 percent of the companies鈥� electricity expenses, overtaking the 64 percent surcharge rate on fuel. 鈥淧ower prices have become a real disadvantage鈥� for Germany as a location for industrial production, DIHK head Eric Schweitzer said. While wholesale power prices are falling, the state鈥檚 surcharges have doubled since 2010, he added. The DIHK says the state could unburden industrial companies by using revenues from the power tax to finance renewables expansion, instead of relying on the renewables surcharge that customers have to pay on their power bill.
Read the article in German , the DIHK press release in German , and the survey results in German .
See the 威力彩玩法 factsheets What business thinks of the energy transition and What energy & climate stakeholders want from Germany鈥檚 next government for background.
Tagesspiegel
One week ahead of the general election, the German political parties already debate possible scenarios for forming a coalition government, reports Lutz Haverkamp in Tagesspiegel. At a special party conference, the Greens鈥� top candidate, Katrin G枚ring-Eckardt, said that her party would enter a coalition government only if this could 鈥渄eterminedly advance鈥� the Greens鈥� core demands. Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), said his party was 鈥渞eady to take on responsibility鈥�, but not at any price. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) has advocated a coalition of his party with the FDP and the Greens, writes Haverkamp.
Find the article in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article German election to define speed and shape of energy transition and the factsheet Colour codes: How energy & climate policy differs in German coalitions.
ARD 鈥� Bericht aus Berlin
In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, Green Party head Cem 脰zdemir and his Free Democratic (FDP) counterpart, Christian Lindner, discussed the possibility of joining a government coalition after the general election. Lindner said he associates 鈥減hantasy鈥� with the term 鈥楯amaica coalition鈥�, which describes the alliance of conservatives (CDU/CSU), Greens, and FDP. The election campaign was not about coalitions, but about important topics, according to Lindner: 鈥淭hank God we live in a democracy that鈥檚 not about destroying the political opponents, but about the competition of ideas. I don鈥檛 see myself in a role where I have to frantically distinguish myself from the Greens and fight with them鈥�, he said. 脰zdemir said: 鈥淚 think of [Jamaica] being a coalition that exists in [the state of] Schleswig-Holstein, which governs very successfully, and where the Greens make the difference鈥�. Both parties share the goal of reaching the country鈥檚 climate targets, but have different views on how to get there, said Lindner. 鈥淲e [the FDP] do not at all question the German climate targets [鈥, but I think the paths we chose to organise the energy transition are wrong.鈥�
Find the video in German .
For background, read the 威力彩玩法 article German election to define speed and shape of energy transition and the factsheet Colour codes: How energy & climate policy differs in German coalitions.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung
Germans generally accept the idea that an energy transition costs money, but they are opposed to wasting money, Johannes Teyssen, manager of energy company E.ON, said in a joint interview with Green Party head Cem 脰zdemir in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. 脰zdemir said that the Merkel government had made mistakes in the implementation of the energy transition, but highlighted that it helped the breakthrough of climate-friendly technologies. 脰zdemir and Teyssen agreed that Germany hasn鈥檛 done enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations, and both said that a European CO2 tax would make renewable energy more competitive.
See a 威力彩玩法 factsheet on what energy and climate stakeholders want from Germany鈥檚 next government here, and on the parties鈥� energy policies here.
Energy Watch Group
Germany鈥檚 next government will have to ramp up efforts to advance the country鈥檚 transition to renewable energy sources in order to replace nuclear power and enable gradual decarbonisation, the Energy Watch Group think tank says. The 鈥渇ormer global leader鈥� in pushing the shift to renewable power has seen national expansion rates decline 鈥渄ramatically鈥� following 鈥渁 series of policy failures鈥�, such as the switch to renewables auctions, the think tank argues. 鈥淕ermany has moved from frontrunner to laggard, exactly at the time when renewables are the cheapest option鈥�, says Energy Watch Group head Hans-Josef Fell.
Find the article in English .
See the 威力彩玩法 article Booming German wind power sector fears 2019 cliff and the 威力彩玩法 factsheet What energy & climate stakeholders want from Germany鈥檚 next government for more information.
Tagesspiegel / German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE)
The German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) proposes to introduce a CO鈧� price for energy consumption in heating, writes Dagmar Dehmer in an article in Tagesspiegel. According to a study, carried out by consultancy Prognos, the levy of 25 euros per tonne of CO鈧� could be added to the energy tax. The additional revenues of a total of 3.4 billion euros annually could be refunded to households, according to BEE.
Read the article in German , and find the BEE press release in German .
German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW)
Germany has a total of 10,700 charging points at 4,730 stations for electric cars, reports the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). Of these, 530 are fast-charging stations. Charging points operated by energy companies and other providers, such as car parks, are included in the count. For Germany to reach its target of one million e-cars by 2020, 70,000 charging points would have to be installed across the country, the BDEW said in a press release.
Read the press release in German .
Read a 威力彩玩法 factsheet on the Energiewende in transportation here.
