Cottbus (energate) - The state premiers of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Brandenburg still do not want to talk about an early coal phase-out. At a conference of the energy association BDEW in Cottbus, Reiner Haseloff (CDU - Christian Democratic Party), Michael Kretschmer (CDU) and Dietmar Woidke (SPD - Social Democratic Party) spoke out in favour of sticking to the 2038 phase-out date. "If you want to maintain credibility as a politician, you have to stick to concluded agreements," said Kretschmer. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) should also stand by what has been agreed, he demanded.
"The coal phase-out in 2038 is a law," Haseloff also stressed. Any discussion outside this law is not legitimate, he said with regard to considerations to bring forward the phase-out in the East German coalfields similar to North Rhine-Westphalia. If Habeck wanted that, he would have to find a majority and change the law, Haseloff said.
Brandenburg's Prime Minister Woidke also does not believe that coal could become uncompetitive. Then there would have to be enough electricity in Germany without coal, he commented. It is the task of politics to ensure that electricity is available at competitive prices for industry and households, he added. "At the moment, Berlin is sawing vigorously at the branch on which we are all sitting," he continued. Germany is still dependent on fossil fuels such as lignite for security of supply.
Habeck promises primacy of security of supply
In the past, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck had advocated an earlier coal phase-out in the East as well. He referred to the consensus in North Rhine-Westphalia for a coal phase-out brought forward to 2030 (
energate reported). At the
conference on infrastructure development in the Lusatian and Central German coalfields, he was more conciliatory. "The state premiers are right in their concern about security of supply," reported Habeck. "We will not do anything that jeopardises the security of supply not only in Lusatia or eastern Germany, but in Germany," he stated. If it is seen that the transformation does not work, then the reserve will remain in power generation, as he reported.
The minister also referred to the likely rise in CO2 prices and the massive expansion of renewable energies. Gas-fired power plants could also become more lucrative than coal-fired power plants in the future. In case that this would happen, lignite-based power generation will no longer be profitable, Habeck stated. "We should make arrangements for this case," he said. The economic data would speak in favour of dealing with this scenario, as he stated. /ck
