Germany's energy transition in the media on 01 October
Spiegel Online
"Subsidies: Brussels' billion-euro gift to the nuclear lobby"
German parliamentarians are „appalled" after EU competition commissioner Joaquín Almunia allowed the UK government to guarantee subsidies for its Hinkley Point nuclear power station, writes Gregor Peter Schmitz in Spiegel Online, citing parlamentarians. Almunia had repeatedly criticised Germany for its Renewable Energy Act, which provided for guaranteed payments to renewable producers via feed-in tariffs. Now feed-in payments that guarantee double the current market price per kilowatt-hour to EDF, the future operator of Hinkley Point, could mean that subsidies for nuclear power exceed those for renewables, the author says.
For the article in German see here.
Tagesschau.de
Bavarian state premier opposes new power lines
Horst Seehofer, Minister-President of Bavaria and head of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party is questioning the need for new power lines planned to carry renewable energy from northern Germany to Bavaria, even though the new overland grid was widely seen as done deal by the federal government, reports Oliver Mayer-Rüth on tagesschau.de. Backed by opposition from Bavarian villages near the planned lines, Seehofer aims to delay the final decision on "SuedLink" and claims that Bavaria's electricity supply is secured until 2021.
For the article in German see here.
Focus Online
Utilities want to shut down power stations
German utilites are applying to discontinue 50 coal and gas-fired power stations (permanently or temporarily) because they are no longer economically viable, reports Simon Che Berberich on Focus Online. The grid agency must decide which plants it deems „relevant to the system", in order to ensure enough supply. Nine stations have already been declared relevant and will remain on line, even if utilites lose money. Policy related to the Energiewende has boosted renewable energy production, which takes precedent over traditionally produced electricty in the grid.
For the article in German see here.
