State premier expects lignite plant shutdowns in next few years
dpa
North Rhine-Westphalia鈥檚 state premier, Armin Laschet, expects the coal commission to recommend a shutdown of lignite plants in the Rhineland region 鈥渁lready in the next one, two or three years鈥, German news agency . Speaking at a press conference in D眉sseldorf, Laschet said the federal government had to provide subsidies for the ensuing structural change in the mining region, which would amount to 鈥渁 larger sum than the finance minister has previously imagined鈥. He also insisted that this support should become part of a legally binding law but didn鈥檛 want to name 鈥渏ust any number of billions鈥 to quantify his demands.