“CDU debates ending green power support”

The debate about an end to Germany's core renewable energy support within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) continues, according to Andreas Mihm in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The party's federal expert committee on finances, economy and energy currently debates a discussion paper draft that states: “We will work out a concept on how to exit Renewable Energy Act (EEG) support for new facilities by the end of the coming legislative period, in order to reach the EEG cost peak by then.” The draft proposes to focus on “market price signals” instead of taxes and fees. It says that Energiewende targets could be “adapted if necessary”, depending on the consequences for Germany’s “economic and social development”, writes Mihm.
Spiegel had reported on an earlier version of the draft in November 2016, which in the end was not tabled at the CDU’s federal conference. “Proposals decided in the party’s federal expert committees do not automatically reflect the party line, but stand a good chance of being put into the election programme,” Beate Preuschoff, CDU spokesperson told Clean Energy Wire. The CDU's expert committees will finalise their recommendations by the end of February.

For background read the CLEW article Merkel shuns energy, climate at party conference focused on security, migration.