TOKYO (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that her country would withdraw from coal-fired power production by 2038, showing her support for ones deadline recommended by just a government-appointed commission.
The so-called coal commission said a few weeks ago that Germany should de-activate all of its coal-fired power plants by 2038 around the latest and proposed at minimum 40 billion euros ($45.7 billion) in aid to coal-mining states affected by the phase-out.
“We wish to be out from coal in 2038. You need to need more gas,” Merkel said in any speech at Keio University in Tokyo, inside her first clear indication that he supported counsel.
The proposals highlight Germany’s shift to renewables, which made up more than 40 % of its energy mix this past year, surpassing coal now. They must certainly implemented by your German government and 16 regional states.
The plan, however, has drawn criticism from some in industry who fear the outcome of higher energy prices.
A senior legislator on the most pro-business wing in Merkel’s party hinted in the weekend newspaper interview of the fact that phase-out could be delayed beyond 2038 if for example the deadline created damage to the security of electricity supply.
