Energy minister pledges focus on power grid extension

Germany’s new economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier has pledged to maximise focus on the extension of the country’s power grid as a priority of his work. “The Energiewende will succeed if we get ahead with the grid extension,” Altmaier told parliament in his first address to the new legislature. “I promise you that after six months in office, I will know every problematic line personally and have visited it.” Altmaier reiterated his opinion that the Energiewende would only succeed if it created successful business opportunities without subsidies. Journalists and opposition politicians were quick to point out that Altmaier failed to mention the Energiewende’s other energy policy questions beyond the grid issue. Overall, Altmaier focused his general statements on the role of small and medium-sized companies – known collectively in Germany as the Mittelstand -- in the country’s social market economy model. “I see the economy ministry as the ministry for the Mittelstand,” he said.

Watch the speech in German here.

See the CLEW dossier The next German government and the energy transition for more information.