The Green politician wants to put up steam in the fight against climate change.
(Photo: imago images / Political-Moments)
Economic and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to present his immediate climate protection measures on Tuesday. According to information from the Handelsblatt from Habeck’s Ministry, this includes a reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), a “solar acceleration package” and a significant increase in the area potential for onshore wind power.
Associated with the immediate measures is an “opening balance sheet”: It shows “how much climate protection in Germany is falling short of expectations,” the ministry said. The expansion of wind power on land and at sea is “at an absolute low compared to the last ten years”. The current plans of the federal states were not even sufficient to achieve the current EEG targets – not to mention the new targets resulting from the coalition agreement.
The decarbonization of industry is also lagging behind. The electrolysis capacities must be ramped up immediately so that the industry can be supplied with sufficient green hydrogen, the ministry said. One will create “the legal and financial prerequisites for the provision of climate protection difference contracts as a central instrument to support the transformation in the industry”. When switching from boilers to heat pumps and expanding the charging station infrastructure, there are significant deficits.
“We turn on the turbo”
The opening balance is the prelude to concrete actions. “We turn on the turbo for climate protection,” said Habeck’s house. Work on the immediate climate protection program has already started. A first package with urgent laws and projects should be decided in April in the cabinet. The core of this is to be the EEG reform. What cannot be concluded by spring must then “be decided in the cabinet by summer 2022 at the latest”.
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The solar acceleration package should include a “broad bundle of individual measures”. These include improvements in tenant electricity models, an increase in the tendering thresholds and simplifications for open space systems while observing nature conservation criteria. In order to increase the area potential for wind power, the distances to radio beacons and weather radars are to be reduced and measures are to be implemented to better reconcile wind expansion with military interests. The area potential is great.
The deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Lukas Köhler rejects Habeck’s plans. “I am very skeptical about an obligation for private homes and apartment buildings,” he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine” on Tuesday. It is right that Habeck is setting the pace right at the beginning of the legislative period, said Köhler. The FDP politician signaled support for compulsory solar roofs for commercial buildings. Because of the mostly large areas, they are well suited for photovoltaic systems.
With agency material.
More: Economic experts: raw material prices endanger the energy transition.