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Wind and solar parks in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Photo: Thomas Trutschel / imago images / photothek
The Bundestag passed a reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) on Thursday.
The expansion of green electricity plants in Germany should thus pick up speed.
357 MPs voted for the amendment, against 260, there was one abstention.
The Federal Council should vote on Friday.
Widespread criticism of the amendment came from the opposition as well as from environmental and industry associations.
The reform is not sufficient to achieve the environmental and climate policy goals.
The black-red coalition had only recently reached an agreement on outstanding points.
Whether the share of green electricity targeted for 2030 should be even higher than previously planned in view of stricter EU climate targets, is not to be discussed until the beginning of 2021.
According to the previous plans, renewable energies are to provide 65 percent of German electricity consumption in 2030.
This year, according to preliminary calculations by energy associations, it was a good 46 percent.
The change in the law should come into force at the beginning of the year
In the EEG amendment, the goal is anchored that all electricity in Germany is greenhouse gas neutral before the year 2050.
The law regulates the extent to which the individual technologies should contribute to the 65 percent target and how this should be achieved.
Above all, the currently slow expansion of onshore wind energy is to be increased significantly in the coming years.
The changes in the law should come into force at the beginning of the year.
This is also necessary because old green electricity systems will then be withdrawn from funding after 20 years.
Follow-up regulations are now planned so that existing systems are not shut down.
The CDU energy politician Joachim Pfeiffer said in the Bundestag that the amendment would strengthen municipalities and reduce the bureaucracy of the EEG.
The goal is more market.
SPD parliamentary deputy Matthias Miersch said the SPD was ready to clarify other big questions.
The expansion paths would have to be increased.
Criticism: missed the opportunity to accelerate the energy transition
Sharp criticism, however, came from the opposition and associations.
For example, Vice-President of the Green Group Oliver Krischer spoke of a "declaration of bankruptcy" and a "certificate of poverty".
The amendment does not do justice to its claim.
The FDP energy politician Martin Neumann criticized how the expansion of renewable energies should succeed, is only inadequately clarified.
Jobs created renewable energies, but Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier (CDU) destroyed 40,000 jobs with his course in the wind industry.
The Federal Association for Renewable Energy criticized the fact that the EEG amendment had missed an opportunity to strengthen the most important climate protection instrument, promote innovation and accelerate the energy transition.
The Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation called for a significant increase in the expansion of green electricity to at least 75 percent by 2030.
The expansion of onshore wind power is slow, the main reasons being long approval procedures, a lack of space for wind turbines, protests and complaints from citizens' groups and nature conservationists.
The Federal Association for Renewable Energy criticized the fact that the EEG amendment missed an opportunity to strengthen the most important climate protection instrument, promote innovation and accelerate the energy transition.
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caw / dpa / AFP
