“We want to end the sustained subsidies system of the EEG”
The German Free Democratic Party (FDP) wants to “end the sustained subsidies system of the [Renewable Energy Act] EEG” with its priority grid access and feed-in tariffs for renewables, writes the party in its draft programme for the autumn federal elections. The EEG’s goal to introduce renewable energies into the market has long been reached and renewables must face the rules of the market “with all opportunities and risks”, writes FDP. The competition in the free market should be guiding the decision of which source or technology contributes to Germany’s energy supply, instead of renewables development targets. The party criticises how the country’s energy transition was designed so far: “A policy that is able to calculate reconciles the desired with the feasible. The Energiewende is the exact opposite. The desired is sought without taking into account the feasible,” writes FDP.
Other provisions of the programme include:
- Energy policy must not turn into “banning-policy”, “we want market economy incentives and not abstention and banning ideology with paternalism”
- Cannot do without fossil fuels for foreseeable time
- Expansion of renewables must be in line with developments in grid and energy storage
- Grid expansion must happen now, or “costs of Energiewende” rise further
- Relieve citizens of costs for grid expansion
- Wind power development needs acceptance by population; introduce 10-H distance regulation for wind turbine construction nationwide
- Reduce electricity tax
- Climate protection needs to be based in market economy: no national solo runs; Paris Agreement as basis; make emissions trading global instrument; no subsidies for emissions avoiding technologies; call for global price on CO₂ emissions
- Compulsory introduction of e-cars or ban of combustion engine “not suitable climate protection strategies”
- Strengthen EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and extend to other sectors, no floor price for ETS certificates, finalise liberalisation of EU single energy market, strengthen trans-European grid development > power should be produced where location allows for lowest costs
The final programme will be approved at a federal party conference 28-30 April.
Find the draft programme in German here.
For other party’s programmes and more on the elections year read the CLEW dossier Vote2017 - German elections and the Energiewende.