It is one of the first major decisions of the year: By the beginning of February at the latest, a commission intends to present a concept for cutting coal . The economy is picking pegs .
Berlin (dpa) – top associations of the German economy want to tie the planned coal exit conditions and warn of further rising electricity prices . “We need revision clauses and review mechanisms,” said Industry President Dieter Kempf the German Press Agency in Berlin .
DIHK President Eric Schweitzer also spoke in favor of it. “Goals must be achieved as a condition for shutting down power plants,” he told dpa. “It’s about goals in terms of security of supply, competitiveness, prices, structural change and network expansion.”
Kempf and Schweitzer are members of the Commission “Growth, Structural Change And Employment”. It wants to present a concept by the beginning of February at the latest how and when Germany should get out of the climate-damaging coal-fired power plant. On the other hand, it is about the structural change in the affected regions – the Lusatian , the central German and the Rheinische Revier. Lots of jobs are hanging on the lignite. The panel brings together politics, business, environmental organizations, trade unions and academia.
Kempf said no one knows what will happen after the nuclear phase-out in 2022: “We need a serious impact assessment on the coalition exit – at least in 2023 and 2026. Then it should be factually and critically reviewed where we stand.” It is not about delaying the end of coal-fired power generation. “As BDI, we are very clear about the Paris Climate Agreement, but sticking to a rigid set of time and volumes without meticulous impact assessment over decades, I consider risky and premature.”
Germany is a strong industrial nation, said the president of the Federal Association of German Industry ( BDI ). “In order to remain a leader, energy costs should not rise any further, otherwise the end would have been set for major parts of the energy-intensive industry in Germany .” Then there would be no aluminum or zinc smelters in Germany, but that would not help the climate Production would be relocated to countries that do not have nearly as high environmental standards as we do. “
Schweitzer said that Germany is the only industrialized country in the world that has decided politically to exit nuclear energy within a decade. “There will be another 10 gigawatts of electricity in 2022.” Germany already has the highest electricity costs in Europe. “If we get out of coal now, we have to make sure that it does not increase energy costs any more, plus the question of how we can safely supply the companies with electricity at all times.” We have a significant backlog of construction new power lines. “
He was worried that a political compromise would lead to a decline in competitiveness and security of supply and that electricity prices would rise, said the President of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce ( DIHK ): “The economy can not support this, but I do not think so, now on a flat-rate basis to call red lines. “
When structural changes any value chains are likely to be torn. “Otherwise there will be a risk of job shifts in the regions,” said Schweitzer . “We have to be careful that economic structural change is taking placenot only so-called “commitment commitments” is true to the motto: we strive politically to settle something. But we have to create the infrastructural conditions for these areas to have a real chance too – in terms of better rail and road connections as well as the digital network with fiber optics and 5G. “The affected regions would have to become” model regions “:” There must be new ones Add value. Federal authorities will not do it. It must also be clarified beforehand that the aid guidelines will not be violated. “
Industry President Kempf said policymakers need to set smart incentives for investment in structural change: “I do not think settling service companies or federal agencies is a sensible structural policy, and they would be a great complement to the mix.” For example, many of the high-quality, above-average paid jobs in the Lusatia,which is one of the most highly qualified industrial workers, has to consider how adequate alternative jobs can be created. ” It would be convincing to locate in Lusatiaresearch on storage technologies, for example so-called power-to-x technologies.
That would cost money, said Kempf . “If politicians want a more early coalition exit , that has a political and economic price.” It’s about billions. So far, the federal government has budgeted 1.5 billion euros for structural change . However, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) has already promised additional billions in spending.