BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s economy and climate ministry will present a package of measures on Wednesday to speed up the expansion of renewable energy as the need to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on Russian fossil fuels adds urgency to its green transition plans.
The three parties that make up Germany’s government – the Social Democrats, environmentalist Greens and pro-market Free Liberals – outlined their broad goals for expanding renewable energy in the coalition contract they signed last November.
However the war in Ukraine has added a sense of urgency to their implementation. The economy ministry will present a series of legislative modifications to cabinet on Wednesday morning, two government sources said.
Economy Minister Robert Habeck is due to hold a news conference on the measures in the afternoon.
The legislation includes a new clause acknowledging that the use of renewables is in the interest of public security, the government sources said. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has referred to renewable electricity sources as “the energy of freedom”.
The country’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) will be altered to show the government aiming for 80% renewables in the power mix by 2030, up from 65% targeted earlier, the government sources said.
That includes ambitious goal like offshore wind energy reaching at least 30 GW by 2030 – equivalent to the capacity of 10 nuclear plants – and at least 70 GW by 2045, the sources added.
Experts expect the changes to go into force on July 1 after passing in parliament.
Further legislative changes are expected during the year, in particular regarding energy efficiency in buildings and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, the sources said.
Another topic that remains in dispute is the aim to dedicate 2% of all land to wind power generation.
(Reporting by Christian Kraemer; Writing by Sarah Marsh; editing by Richard Pullin)
