Germany should make its energy policy fully European to improve it – DIHK head
Tagesspiegel
In order to achieve the best possible climate action in Europe, Germany must avoid any solo attempts and coordinate its energy and industrial policy with fellow EU countries, Eric Schweitzer, head of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), writes in a guest article for the Tagesspiegel. Energy trade in the internal market and harmonised grid development already allow German companies to benefit from Europe-wide power supply security. But German unilateralism continues to be a burden for the country’s industry, which has to pay much more for its power supply than competitors abroad, Schweitzer writes. Germany should use the EU’s clean energy package “as an opportunity to make its so-far rather national energy policy more European” and to achieve greater emissions reduction at lower costs, he says. Policymakers in Berlin should adopt the EU’s view that supply security always has to be regarded as a joint European goal and only use ideas like a capacity reserve with mothballed fossil power plants “as a last resort,” Schweitzer says. “If you design power grids that cross borders, you have greater reserves – and for less money.”
Please note: This CLEW news piece has been corrected. Eric Schweitzer is head of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), not of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), as previously stated. We apologise for the mistake.
