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BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The Greens are targeting the power grid plans of Economy Minister Katherina Reiche and presenting counterproposals. "The CDU economy minister is a gas lobbyist who wants to wreck the energy transition and keep Germany's economy dependent on gas – the only difference from 2022 is that now Germany is dependent on Trump's fracking gas instead of Putin's," the party writes in a ten-point plan released in Berlin. Green Party leader Felix Banaszak announced: "We will stop this grid package."
Greens Push for Grid Expansion
Reiche is planning reforms to expand power grids and renewable energy, according to a draft bill. The aim is to cut costs. The grid expansion, it states, cannot keep pace with the construction of new facilities. Therefore, in particularly strained areas, if wind and solar plants are curtailed or shut down, no compensation will be paid for new connections.
The Greens, on the other hand, are calling for, among other things, larger tenders for onshore wind farms, and mandatory connection deadlines for grid operators for smaller solar installations, electric vehicle charging stations, smart meters, or heat pumps. Power lines should be laid above ground wherever possible.
Banaszak Warns of Economic Risk
According to the Greens, digital electricity meters, known as smart meters, should be installed in all households and businesses by 2030. These devices allow electricity consumption to be adjusted to price fluctuations through flexible tariffs. In addition, electricity tax for everyone should be reduced to the European minimum, making electricity two euro cents per kilowatt hour cheaper for the general population.
Banaszak explained that it's not just about climate protection. Reiche's plans also pose an economic risk. "It's also about yet another future industry being regulated into the ground." He recalled the relocation of the solar industry to China./hrz/DP/stw
