As of: February 6, 2024, 9:18 a.m
By: Amy Walker
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The traffic light government has presented a long-awaited power plant strategy.
But it's not the big hit yet - instead it's put off again.
Berlin - After months of delay, it was finally announced on Monday (February 5th): the federal government has agreed on a power plant strategy.
What at first glance looks like good news is, at second glance, little more than a new imposition.
The government still has no answers to the most important questions for industry and business when it comes to climate-neutral energy supply.
Instead, the traffic light partners have agreed on what is probably the lowest common denominator.
Namely: New power plants should be built and as quickly as possible.
But this is so obvious that it doesn't need to be said.
Traffic light agrees to a later agreement
However, the answers to the following questions would have been much more interesting: How much money the federal government wants to make available for this, how it wants to contribute to the costs, when the first tender can be expected, where the new gas power plants will be built When exactly do you want to use 100 percent hydrogen and whether this has to be “green” hydrogen or “blue” hydrogen.
But the Ministry of Economic Affairs cannot provide any information about this - because in reality the traffic light leaders could not come to an agreement at all.
Instead, they have now agreed that they want to come to an agreement again later.
A lot to communicate: Christian Lindner (left) and Robert Habeck on the government bench in the Bundestag.
© IMAGO/dts news agency
The traffic light government is once again showing how difficult it is now finding good solutions.
As always, this time it will be about money, about the question of subsidies and special funds and the debt brake.
Because even if the basic pillars of the new power plant strategy are in place without the question of money being clarified, no power plants are still being built.
The energy industry has emphasized this again and again: investments will only be made when they can be sure that the investment will be worthwhile.
The power plant strategy is therefore nothing more than lip service to the energy transition.
If you want a sense of optimism, you have to deliver more.