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More wind power: With the Easter package, the expansion of green electricity should go smoothly
Photo: Olaf Döring / IMAGO
The federal government speaks of the largest energy policy amendment in decades.
The Reuters and DPA news agencies, citing insiders, report that she has launched a legislative package that is intended to accelerate the expansion of green electricity from the sun and wind.
The so-called Easter package is to come into force on July 1st.
"It will comprehensively accelerate the expansion of renewable energies, on water, on land and on the roof," it says.
However, the FDP agreed in the cabinet only with the proviso that further details would be clarified during the deliberations in the Bundestag.
This was recorded in a letter accompanying the cabinet decision, reports Reuters.
»Federal Minister of Economics Habeck is taking a first step in the right direction with the Easter package.
However, all important reform steps could not be included in the package due to time constraints," said FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr of the dpa news agency.
The proposal by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) provides for the share of green electricity in gross electricity consumption to increase to 80 percent by 2030.
That would almost double it.
Habeck had already announced the plans in January.
They provide for changes to numerous laws and regulations.
This will implement agreements from the coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, which are intended to help achieve the climate goals.
»freedom energies«
Due to the Ukraine war, the expansion of renewable energy has gained additional importance because of the high dependency on gas, oil and coal imports from Russia.
FDP leader Christian Lindner therefore calls them »freedom energies«.
No information was initially given about the costs.
In the future, the money will come from the climate fund, which has just been increased by 60 billion euros.
The Easter package is intended to change, among other things, the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the Offshore Wind Energy Act.
The principle is anchored that the use of renewable energies is in the overriding public interest and serves public safety.
By 2030, at least 80 percent of German electricity consumption should come from renewable sources.
By 2035 it should be almost 100 percent.
For comparison: in 2021 the rate was only 42 percent.
However, experts expect an increase in electricity consumption.
"It follows that in 2030 a total of around 600 terawatt hours of electricity should be provided in Germany from renewable energies," it said in government circles.
It is also planned to provide new areas for the expansion of photovoltaics.
The remuneration for solar power will be increased significantly.
That should take effect as early as 2022.
Low-wind locations are also to be developed more intensively.
The expansion targets for offshore wind energy are increased to at least 30 gigawatts by 2030, at least 40 gigawatts by 2035 and at least 70 gigawatts by 2045.
In addition, the requirements plan for the expansion of the transmission grids will be updated.
"19 new grid expansion projects will be included and 17 grid expansion projects will be changed." Wind turbines are repeatedly criticized by local residents.
The federal government now wants to speed up planning and approvals for areas that have already been pre-examined.
»Environmental assessments and participation rights are bundled more closely.«
Greenhouse gas emissions have increased significantly over the past year
The government's plans still have to go through the Bundestag.
The changes are expected to come into effect as early as July 1st.
Further climate protection measures are expected over the course of the year.
Above all, they should ensure more energy efficiency in buildings and progress in the CO2 targets for the transport sector.
The plan that states should allocate two percent of their area to wind energy is also controversial.
Germany, which is still heavily dependent on gas and oil supplies from Russia, is expected to be climate neutral overall by 2045.
That is why Habeck has promised to triple the pace of climate protection.
However, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions increased significantly again last year.
The building and transport sectors did not meet their targets, unlike industry and agriculture.
Regarding the FDP's criticism of the project, parliamentary group leader Dürr said that one had to move away from a climate policy that always only formulated goals without defining how these goals could be achieved.
“In this package, it is still unclear how a climate-neutral electricity system is to be achieved by 2035.
Here it would be much better to choose a more realistic goal and instead set the framework in such a way that the goal is actually achieved.«
The EEG levy on the electricity bill should be completely abolished by July 1, according to Dürr.
'I'm afraid the Easter package is going backwards at this point by hinting at the possibility of reintroduction.
The traffic light has therefore agreed that there will still be significant changes in the deliberations in the Bundestag.«
mmq/Reuters/dpa