Energy efficiency, sector coupling and digitalisation likely to keep next government busy

Greater energy efficiency, sector coupling and digitalisation are going to be core areas in energy policy that Germany’s next government will likely have to focus on, according to federal economy ministry state secretary Rainer Baake. During a speech at a conference of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) in Berlin, Baake explained that the German economy’s decarbonisation in the end would heavily depend on the electrification of all sectors, meaning that power generation, transport and heating had to be coupled in the most efficient manner. While he could not speak on behalf of the next administration, Baake said he expects “any government to adopt at least one sentence” in its coalition agreement that shows commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.

For background, see the CLEW dossier Vote2017 – German elections and the Energiewende and the CLEW factsheet From ideas to laws – how Energiewende policy is shaped.

The Clean Energy Wire will publish an article on this topic later today.