According to the will of the coal commission set up by the government, Germany should end power generation from coal by the end of 2038 at the latest. Then the 28-member committee agreed in the night with only one dissenting, as the dpa learned from participant circles. This was preceded by a marathon session of almost 21 hours.
A total of 40 billion euros of aid should be provided for the states affected by the coalition exit. Specifically, the affected regions are to receive 1.3 billion euros each over a period of 20 years. A further total of 700 million euros over 20 years to get the federal states in addition.
For a long time, it was especially controversial in the negotiations until when and in which steps electricity generation from coal in Germany should end. But it was also about the money. The industry wanted to make billions to protect against rising electricity prices, the coal countries North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt wanted binding commitments to support structural change.
However, the commission set up by the government for growth, structural change and employment can only make proposals, and implementation is a matter for politics. The purpose of the Commission is to establish a broad consensus, similar to the nuclear phase-out. The 28-strong body includes representatives from industry, trade unions, environmental organizations and academia. Decisions require a two-thirds majority.
The nuclear power plants go in Germany until 2022 from the network. The share of coal power is also decreasing. However, the coal exit and thus the switch to green electricity must be accelerated, because otherwise Germany misses national and international climate goals. By 2050, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the most important greenhouse gas, are expected to be 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels. Since electricity must be used in other sectors instead of coal, oil and gas, power generation is becoming increasingly important.
