As of: February 15, 2024, 2:45 p.m
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Hendrik Wüst (CDU), Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, comments on current political issues at a press conference in the state parliament.
© Oliver Berg/dpa
The black-green government of North Rhine-Westphalia wants to achieve a readjustment of the federal government's power plant strategy through the Federal Council.
In view of the coal phase-out planned for 2030, it would be “very sporty” not to put the necessary power plant capacities out to tender until 2024, said NRW Economics and Energy Minister Mona Neubaur (Greens) to journalists in Düsseldorf on Thursday.
Düsseldorf - A first step has been taken, but it is not sufficient for NRW, which is an industrial country.
Neubaur said she sees “light and shadow” in the federal government’s plans.
She is happy that there is now a beginning.
But she is dissatisfied with the fact that not 24 gigawatts will be tendered for the hydrogen-capable conversion of gas power plants, as was agreed in 2023, but only ten gigawatts.
The Deputy Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia emphasized that North Rhine-Westphalia will therefore urgently ask the federal government, through the Bundesrat, to make adjustments.
The federal government had previously agreed to convert the power supply in Germany.
New gas power plants, which will later be operated with hydrogen, will in future be available as “backups” to secure electricity generation from renewable energies from wind and sun.
There should be a political agreement on the future design of the electricity market by summer at the latest.
Important questions still remain unanswered.
The energy industry has been waiting for a long time for a strategy for new gas power plants, which will take several years to build and which are intended to secure the coal phase-out.
The new power plants are intended to replace climate-damaging coal-fired power plants and step in when there is no wind and no sun to cover electricity demand.
At the same time, Neubaur emphasized that the gas and electricity supply in North Rhine-Westphalia was secure.
The state is also one of the leaders nationwide in the construction of new wind turbines and is also accelerating open-space photovoltaics.
The state government will present an energy and heat supply strategy in May, said the Green politician.
dpa