The German government has welcomed an official proposal to phase out the country’s coal-fired power stations by 2038, saying it would act quickly to implement the recommendation. The proposal put forward by the government-appointed commission, which was announced on Saturday, would see Germany join a growing number of countries to have decided to end the use of coal, a key source of greenhouse gas emissions. But it is likely to place a big burden on the German taxpayer, requiring huge compensation payments to coal miners, coal-producing areas and the operators of power stations that will be closed as a result of the new policy. German economy minister Peter Altmaier said the commission’s proposals were a “strong signal” that was good for “the economy and the climate”. The deal would mean “less CO2, more new jobs, reliability of supply and affordable [electricity prices]”, he tweeted. He told the Bild am Sonntag tabloid he was planning to table a bill in the next few weeks to implement the commission’s findings.
FT 27th Jan 2019 read more »
Germany’s Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Monday said that he did not want Germany to compensate for a planned phase out of coal-fired power by 2038 by importing nuclear power from neighbouring countries. “We want energy security to be provided at all times,” the minister told broadcaster ZDF, but added: “We do not want to import cheap nuclear power from other countries.”
Reuters 28th Jan 2019 read more »