Premiere in the gas crisis: Minister Neubaur with concerns

Created: 06/30/2022Updated: 06/30/2022 2:12 p.m

Mona Neubaur (M, Alliance 90/The Greens), Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy, and Hendrik Wüst (CDU), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.

© Marius Becker/dpa

The crisis is always there when the new Greens Minister for Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur, makes her first appearance in the state parliament.

Russia's war against Ukraine has serious consequences in this country as well.

Neubaur has disturbing news for people in his luggage.

Dusseldorf - Worrying premiere for North Rhine-Westphalia's new NRW "super minister" in the state parliament: In her very first plenary speech on Thursday, Economics and Energy Minister Mona Neubaur swore the people of North Rhine-Westphalia to tougher times because of the consequences of the Russian war against Ukraine.

Barely 24 hours after her appointment, the new minister warned of a worsening of the gas crisis and a sixfold increase in gas prices.

"We are facing one of the greatest challenges that has arisen in our country in recent times." It is about "ensuring a reliable and affordable energy supply".

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine "relentlessly exposed" Russia's heavy dependence on energy.

The situation is currently "serious but stable," said Neubaur, who was dressed in black as always.

The gas supply is secured at the moment.

Nevertheless, the energy policy situation continues to tighten due to the gradual reduction in gas flows from Russia.

Neubaur said she shares the fear that the emergency level may need to be activated as a result.

After the drastic reduction in gas supplies from Russia, the federal government declared the alarm level in the gas emergency plan.

The emergency plan has three levels: The alert level is the second.

The third would be the emergency level.

Since the start of the Ukraine war at the end of February, the supply of gas to Europe from Russia has been considered endangered.

Energy prices have already risen sharply.

According to Neubaur, financial compensation for consumers and companies must be ensured.

In view of the "impositions" on people, a "fair burden sharing" must be created quickly - also to protect the energy suppliers from liquidity problems and the resulting threat of insolvency.

The throttling of Russian gas supplies meanwhile puts the energy supplier Uniper under pressure.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the federal government is in talks with the company about stabilization measures.

According to Neubaur, NRW is working together with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology in the gas crisis team.

The NRW regional crisis team has also been meeting weekly since April 4th.

Domestic gas consumption must be reduced in order to fill the gas storage facilities, said Neubaur.

The CDU deputy Christian Untrieser pointed out that since June 13, the "Gas Saving Potentials NRW" working group has been working on measures.

While Neubaur was speaking in the Düsseldorf state parliament, Green Party Economics Minister Robert Habeck warned in Munich that Russian gas deliveries through the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea would fail completely.

From July 11, there is a threat of "a total blockade of Nord Stream 1," he said at a "sustainability summit" of the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".

That's why it can be really problematic in winter.

The gas supply over the summer is guaranteed.

The SPD in the state parliament warned of the consequences of the crisis for the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia with concrete figures.

440,000 people are employed in energy-intensive companies in Germany, which in turn account for 40 percent of the country's gas consumption.

The emergency level stipulates that the majority of these companies will be disconnected from the grid in order to ensure the supply of private households and critical infrastructure.

The SPD MP Alexander Vogt called for a plan from the new black-green state government that “not only focuses on the higher earners”.

His SPD colleague André Stinka said: "The necessary gas savings will affect everyone."

FDP parliamentary group leader Henning Höne said that Germany's dependence on Russian gas is also the result of 16 years of foreign and energy policy by former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU).

A study assumes annual cost increases of up to 2,900 euros for gas and up to 800 euros for electricity for a four-person household that heats with gas.

The FDP, which was voted out of the government, is now in the opposition in the state parliament.

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According to Hönes, Green Minister Neubaur is faced with a balancing act.

The Greens would now commit to security of supply, including coal.

In 2018, the eco-party invited Neubaur to a party conference in the lignite mining area.

At the same time, Höne spoke out in favor of a longer service life for nuclear power plants.

"Of course, less gas in power generation can be offset by more nuclear energy."

The FDP MP Dietmar Brockes pointed to the conflict over the village of Lützerath in the lignite mining area, which is threatened by excavation - a possible problem for the Greens, who are now co-governing.

The Greens "throw sand in people's eyes," said Brockes.

The coal under the village of Lützerath will be needed when coal-fired power plants are taken out of the security reserve.

Neubaur must make her point of view on Lützerath clear.

In the coalition agreement, the CDU and the Greens guarantee security of supply.

Until coal is phased out, lignite will make its contribution to security of supply in view of the Ukraine war.

With a "prompt" new key decision, the people in the lignite mining area should get clarity.

Five villages from the third resettlement phase are to be retained.

But this does not include Lützerath at the Garzweiler opencast mine.

AfD MP Christian Loose had a completely different idea: he called for negotiations with Russia.

It should be proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into operation if he agrees to a ceasefire.

dpa