In a bid to clarify the German government’s planned power plant strategy, the Minister of Economics and Climate Protection in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mona Neubaur, has called for swift action from the federal government.
Neubaur, a member of the Green party, emphasized the need for a reliable strategy to ensure a secure, affordable and climate-neutral energy supply. In addition to renewable energy, energy storage and flexible power demand, she highlighted the importance of modern, highly flexible and hydrogen-capable power plants.
North Rhine-Westphalia has been urging the federal government for a comprehensive power plant strategy since October 2022, which would include short-term tenders for controllable power plant capacities and a mid-term, competitive and technology-neutral capacity market that encompasses storage technologies and load flexibility.
Neubaur stressed the need for the federal government to take swift action, ensuring a reliable planning framework for investments. She emphasized the importance of the Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection reaching a consensus with the European Commission on the scope of the tenders prior to the establishment of the necessary capacity market.
The minister suggested that the federal government should draw inspiration from the draft of the Power Plant Safety Act from the previous legislative period, making only necessary adjustments to ensure a reliable investment framework and swift implementation. Furthermore, Neubaur emphasized the need for the federal government to ensure that the tenders are designed to support the ongoing hydrogen upscaling in Germany, which should not be disrupted.