16 Jan 2017

“Gabriel: No race to end coal”

Rheinische Post

A concrete year for a German coal exit can't be specified, because of the many factors involved, according to economy minister Sigmar Gabriel, writes the Rheinische Post. “I don’t think much of this chase for phase-out dates,” which could easily lead to attempts to outdo each other, Gabriel said when visiting the lignite power plant Bergheim-Niederaußem. A coal exit by 2025 [as proposed by the Green party] was “completely illusory”. In any case, 50 percent less lignite would be extracted by 2030 due to the closure of large parts of Germany’s open pit mines, according to Gabriel. It made most sense to check in 2030 how well the creation of job alternatives and the energy transition had progressed and to adjust the exit tempo accordingly.

Read the article in German here.

For background read the CLEW factsheet When will Germany finally ditch coal?

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