Germany needs energy autonomy – parliamentary state sec

Germany’s energy supply security must not depend on the support of other countries, Thomas Bareiss, state secretary in the economy and energy ministry (BMWi), said at a conference on energy and climate policy organised by newspaper Die Zeit in Berlin. "We have to guarantee autonomous energy supply security, this is a value in itself," Bareiss said with a view to the debate over the decommissioning of coal power plants, which is currently being discussed by Germany's coal exit commission. The conservative politician of Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU said there would be greater and deeper integration of European energy markets, but added that Germany "has to show that it doesn't have to rely on other countries" to ensure it has sufficient energy at its disposal at any time.

For background, read the CLEW factsheets How can Germany keep the lights on in a renewable energy future? and Germany’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.