Latest news with #Reiche
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
German government shows cracks over nuclear energy
Representative Image (AI-generated) It was only a relatively petty dispute over the organization of an EU event in Brussels. And yet, revealed how differently Economy Minister Katherina Reiche — of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) — and Environment Minister Carsten Schneider — of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) — think about renewable energy, climate protection and nuclear power. In mid-June, Reiche was looking for a way to spend the evening in Brussels after a long meeting with her EU counterparts. There were two options: a meeting with representatives from countries that want to continue to expand renewable energies, and a meeting with pro-nuclear states. Twelve of the 27 EU states operate nuclear power plants, with France having the highest proportion — 55 reactors. Reiche ultimately attended the meeting of these countries, even though the government of former Chancellor Angela Merkel moved to phase out nuclear energy after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Germany's last power plant went off the grid in spring 2023. Renewables or nuclear power? The fact that Reiche nevertheless chose to attend the meeting with the nuclear countries angered her SPD colleague. Schneider is officially responsible for nuclear safety in Germany as the environment minister, including issues relating to the interim and final storage of nuclear waste. "We have decided to phase out nuclear power. This has also been accepted by society," Schneider said. Officially, Germany is focusing on transitioning to renewable energies, and a large proportion of its energy is now generated from wind or solar power. "There are no further commitments [to the nuclear industry], nor will there be any," said Schneider. France, Germany backing all forms of energy: The disagreement between the Economy Ministry and the Environment Ministry on nuclear energy issues was already apparent. At the end of May, Reiche said in Brussels that she was "open to all technologies" when it came to energy production. The specific trigger was a joint paper by the governments in Paris and Berlin, which stated that the energy policy in both countries would be implemented "based on climate neutrality, competitiveness and sovereignty." In other words, according to the wishes of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, all forms of energy are to be promoted in the EU as long as they are low-emission. In France, this applies above all to the many nuclear power plants. In fact, nuclear power plants emit little or no greenhouse gases during operation and are therefore considered climate-friendly by their proponents. The dangers of the technology lie in controlling the nuclear chain reaction and the nuclear waste it produces, which remains radioactive for many thousands of years. According to the EU treaties, each member state has the right to choose its own energy mix. Major plans for new gas-fired power plants: There is also likely to be more disagreement between Reiche and Schneider on the issue of new gas-fired power plants. Shortly after taking office, the CDU minister announced plans to build 20 new gas-fired power plants. The previous government had also announced new construction to compensate for the often-fluctuating supplies from solar and wind power — but not in such large numbers. This is also a cause for concern for Schneider, who is responsible for meeting Germany's climate targets. In mid-May, the German government's expert council on climate issues warned that the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045 must be backed up by a truly concrete plan from the government. A warning from climate experts: The economy and environment ministries have often clashed on issues of climate protection and energy policy. At the moment, the government's climate goals are being helped by the rather weak economy and the resulting lower production, especially in industry, according to the council. A member of the panel, Marc Oliver Bettzüge, director of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne, told the newsmagazine Der Spiegel: "At this point in time, it is not clear how the federal government intends to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2045." Building new gas-fired power plants is likely to make this plan even more difficult. Although gas-fired power plants emit less greenhouse gases than coal-fired one
DW
10 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
German government shows cracks over nuclear energy – DW – 06/28/2025
The economy minister attended a meeting of EU states using nuclear energy, even though Germany shut down its last reactor in 2023. The environment minister was quick to insist Germany will stick to its nuclear phaseout. It was only a relatively petty dispute over the organization of an EU event in Brussels. And yet, revealed how differently Economy Minister Katherina Reiche — of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) — and Environment Minister Carsten Schneider — of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) — think about renewable energy, climate protection and nuclear power. In mid-June, Reiche was looking for a way to spend the evening in Brussels after a long meeting with her EU counterparts. There were two options: a meeting with representatives from countries that want to continue to expand renewable energies, and a meeting with pro-nuclear states. Twelve of the 27 EU states operate nuclear power plants, with France having the highest proportion — 55 reactors. Reiche ultimately attended the meeting of these countries, even though the government of former Chancellor Angela Merkel moved to phase out nuclear energy after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Germany's last power plant went off the grid in spring 2023. The fact that Reiche nevertheless chose to attend the meeting with the nuclear countries angered her SPD colleague. Schneider is officially responsible for nuclear safety in Germany as the environment minister, including issues relating to the interim and final storage of nuclear waste. "We have decided to phase out nuclear power. This has also been accepted by society," Schneider said. Officially, Germany is focusing on transitioning to renewable energies, and a large proportion of its energy is now generated from wind or solar power. "There are no further commitments [to the nuclear industry], nor will there be any," said Schneider. The disagreement between the Economy Ministry and the Environment Ministry on nuclear energy issues was already apparent. At the end of May, Reiche said in Brussels that she was "open to all technologies" when it came to energy production. The specific trigger was a joint paper by the governments in Paris and Berlin, which stated that the energy policy in both countries would be implemented "based on climate neutrality, competitiveness and sovereignty." In other words, according to the wishes of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, all forms of energy are to be promoted in the EU as long as they are low-emission. In France, this applies above all to the many nuclear power plants. In fact, nuclear power plants emit little or no greenhouse gases during operation and are therefore considered climate-friendly by their proponents. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The dangers of the technology lie in controlling the nuclear chain reaction and the nuclear waste it produces, which remains radioactive for many thousands of years. According to the EU treaties, each member state has the right to choose its own energy mix. There is also likely to be more disagreement between Reiche and Schneider on the issue of new gas-fired power plants. Shortly after taking office, the CDU minister announced plans to build 20 new gas-fired power plants. The previous government had also announced new construction to compensate for the often-fluctuating supplies from solar and wind power — but not in such large numbers. This is also a cause for concern for Schneider, who is responsible for meeting Germany's climate targets. In mid-May, the German government's expert council on climate issues warned that the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045 must be backed up by a truly concrete plan from the government. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The economy and environment ministries have often clashed on issues of climate protection and energy policy. At the moment, the government's climate goals are being helped by the rather weak economy and the resulting lower production, especially in industry, according to the council. A member of the panel, Marc Oliver Bettzüge, director of the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne, told the newsmagazine : "At this point in time, it is not clear how the federal government intends to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2045." Building new gas-fired power plants is likely to make this plan even more difficult. Although gas-fired power plants emit less greenhouse gases than coal-fired ones, 20 new plants would jeopardize the climate you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bavaria set to be home to new German gas power plants
Germany's new government is set to build gas plant plants in the southern state of Bavaria, Economy Minister Ketherina Reiche said on Monday. Attending a meeting of the Bavarian Cabinet in the lakeside resort of Gmund am Tegernsee, Reiche said "two-thirds" of the new capacity would be built in southern Germany as part of a "southern bonus." Bavaria will be prioritized in "the tender for the first 20 gigawatts that we have planned in Germany," she added. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led administration, which took office last month, is promising to bring down electricity prices for energy-intensive industries by constructing new gas-run plants. The Cabinet is expected to decide on the first measures to relieve businesses by the summer, with a reduction of levies on electricity, grid charges and gas storage. Reiche said high energy costs are leading companies to make new investments in countries where prices are more favourable. "Security of supply, climate protection and affordability must come together again in a balanced triangle," said the minister. Reiche said consultations with the European Commission over the plans are already under way.
DW
24-05-2025
- Business
- DW
Is Germany's new government weakening climate protection? – DW – 05/24/2025
When Katherina Reiche of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), took over from her predecessor, Robert Habeck of the Green Party, as the new Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, she had warm words for him. That was surprising. During Germany's recent federal election campaign, Habeck had been flooded with criticism from conservative politicians. The head of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Söder, for example, repeatedly complained about the "worst economics minister of all time." Reiche's view differed. She recalled how Habeck had managed the post-pandemic energy crisis, after Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine, in the spring of 2022: "I would like to thank you for that almost superhuman achievement," Reiche said. Habeck contributed to "this country getting through this crisis," even with his unpopular policy decisions. The Ministry of Economic Affairs staff responded with prolonged applause, and Habeck was visibly moved. German industry calls for more proactive growth policy To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Abolishing 'Habeck's' law on heating In the meantime, Reiche is working towards amending Habeck's most important law: the "Building Energy Act" (popularly known in Germany as the Heating Law), she wants to dismantle its substance almost entirely. That goal is indeed clearly stated in the new coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU, and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD): "We will abolish the Building Energy Act." Habeck, who was also responsible for climate protection, attempted to tackle one of the key weaknesses in German climate policy during his time in government from 2021 to the beginning of May 2025: While the expansion of renewable energies such as solar and wind is progressing, Germans still predominantly heat their homes with climate-damaging natural gas. The Building Energy Act was intended to promote the installation of new, environmentally friendly heat pumps in homes and set end dates for operating old gas heating systems. However, the law caused a great deal of resentment, and critics accused the Greens of interfering in Germans' boiler rooms. Reiche now wants to change the law. On the podcast, Table Today, she said that the law in its current form more or less prescribes just one technology: the heat pump. "There is a de facto operating ban on gas boilers installed before 1991," said the CDU politician. "First of all, we need to abolish this operating ban in order to restore calm to the market." Climate change takes back seat in Germany's 2025 election To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After initial problems, the installation of heat pumps has recently picked up significantly. In the first three months of this year, sales in Germany rose by 35% year-on-year to 62,000 units. The German Heat Pump Association announced in a press release. The managing director of the organization, Martin Sabel, spoke of "light at the end of the tunnel." The state subsidy of up to 70% of the costs is now "established," the association expects sales of 260,000 heat pumps for the year. Habeck's dream of 500,000 heat pumps per year That demonstrates how bold Habeck's original ideas were. In 2022, he stated that his target was the installation of around 500,000 new heat pumps each year. "The market is gradually gaining momentum because people are realizing that it makes sense to move away from fossil fuels," Sabel said in an interview with Der Spiegel. Reiche also announced that securing the energy supply is now a priority for the government in addition to climate protection. That will include constructing new gas-fired power plants with a total capacity of around 20 gigawatts. Gas is more environmentally friendly than coal, which Germany wants to phase out by 2038 and still supplies around 20% of German electricity. For that reason, the previous government had also supported the construction of gas-fired power plants — albeit not to the extent mentioned by Reiche. Germany's heat pump makers look to expand at home and abroad To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Reiche's plans 'completely oversized' Reiche's gas plans drew the attention of energy expert Claudia Kemfert from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). In the Bavarian Media Group's newspapers, Kemfert said the plans are "completely oversized," adding that "Hydropower, making the energy system more flexible and the use of increasingly cost-effective large-scale batteries would also be viable alternatives." According to Martin Kaiser, climate expert for the environmental group Greenpeace, Germany should finally break the fossil fuel chains that tie the country to expensive fossil fuel imports. "Instead of making Germany more independent by accelerating the expansion of renewables, Katherina Reiche wants to steer us into new fossil dependencies," Kaiser said. So, does climate protection no longer play a significant role in the new government? Even if critics suspect this, Germany took a decisive step for climate protection in the coming years even before Friedrich Merz was elected Chancellor: The new government decided on a gigantic investment program for infrastructure of €500 billion ($565 billion). However, Germany's Basic Law had to be amended for this, which is why the CDU, CSU and SPD also needed the votes of the Greens. And they succeeded in ensuring that €100 billion of the €500 billion would be spent on climate protection. Some observers spoke of the Greens' greatest success at the end of their time in government. High expectations of the new environment minister Less at the center of the debate is the new Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, who is now also responsible for international climate protection in the new government. Martin Kaiser has clear expectations of the SPD politician. "He rightly sees German climate foreign policy as an essential part of security policy. Schneider wants to, and must save global climate protection in foreign policy — despite Trump." Minister Schneider must now draw up a climate protection program by the end of the year, which will oblige his colleagues in the cabinet to take immediate action." However, it remains to be seen whether Schneider will get the chance to do that within the cabinet against the strong force of Economics Minister Reiche. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Berlin divided over nuclear energy assessment in EU climate policy
A rift appears to be forming within Germany's new coalition government over the question of whether nuclear energy should be deemed sustainable at EU level. "Discussions are under way at European level with our European partners, with the European Commission and also within the federal government," said deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille in Berlin on Friday. His comments come a day after German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche defended a major policy reversal that saw Berlin drop its opposition to nuclear energy being deemed sustainable. In the European Union's taxonomy for sustainable economic activities, technologies that emit no carbon dioxide (CO2) or are low in CO2 should be prioritized, Reiche noted. The taxonomy lists areas in which investments can be made to combat climate change. Certain investments in gas or nuclear power plants are categorized as climate-friendly. But on Friday, German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider said Germany continues to oppose this assessment, as it had done under the previous centre-left administration, amid criticism that the use of nuclear energy produces radioactive waste and should not be treated on par with renewable sources. Schneider, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), told dpa that "comments made by individual members of the federal government suggesting that there is a new openness here are private opinions." "The federal government has not taken a position on this issue and, with the SPD, will not do so in the future," he added. A paper jointly published earlier this month by Germany's new conservative-led government and the French government, a staunch supporter of nuclear power, states that energy policy is to be based on climate neutrality, competitiveness and sovereignty and that all low-emission energies, including nuclear, are to be treated equally. While Reiche stressed the need to be open to technologies, Schneider insisted that the country had exited nuclear power for good reason. "Nuclear power is significantly more expensive than renewable alternatives, which Germany has already made great strides in developing," he said. "Nuclear power entails incalculable risks – in terms of accidents and the spread of radioactive material. I cannot seriously describe such a technology as sustainable," he added. Schneider went on to say that Germany opposes EU funding for nuclear facilities. "This also applies to attempts to equate nuclear power with sustainable electricity generation from renewable energies."
