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Cut in solar power support sparks row
Published: 24 Feb 12 09:02 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/sci-tech/20120224-40937.html
Opposition parties accused Germany’s environment and economy ministers of endangering thousands of jobs as well as the country’s switch to renewables by cutting solar power subsidies.
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Solar power producers will now only receive between €0.135 and €0.195 for every kilowatt hour they send to the grid. Despite this, Germany still plans to build new solar power facilities with a total capacity of 2,500 – 3,500 megawatts over the next two years.
Röttgen said photovoltaic power must “grow in a sensible framework when it comes to costs and maintaining grid stability.”
Rösler described the solar power subsidies as “sweet poison” for solar power operators. “If, out of €12 billion set aside by the Renewable Energy Act, €6 billion is spent on photovoltaic power, when it accounts for three percent of electricity production, then obviously we have to think about its economic value,” he said.
Ulrich Kelber, deputy parliamentary leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD), criticized Rösler sharply. “The government’s plans to attack solar power have Rösler’s ideological handwriting all over them,” he said. “He has imposed his will on the environment minister.”
Green party parliamentary leader Jürgen Trittin accused the government of sacrificing Germany’s switch to renewable energy for the sake of peace in the coalition. He called the subsidy cuts, “completely out of proportion and therefore irresponsible.”
“The agreement frightens investors, endangers thousands of jobs and hurts climate protection,” he added.
Greenpeace energy expert Sven Teske said the plan threatens 130,000 jobs in 10,000 mid-sized companies, while World Wildlife Fund board member Eberhard Brandes described the deal as a “tragedy for energy policy.”
DAPD/The Local/bk
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Your comments about this article:
Artificially burdening an economy, based on manufacturing and exporting, with ever increasing and inefficient energy will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs!
Wake up people!
Your future is in the balance.
The world has centuries worth of fossil fuels that can be used with minimal environmental damage.
Let the greens and their stupid ideas make it on their own without any taxpayer help, if they can.
I still remember the "forests are dying" fraud of the 80's due to high speed driving on autobahn's.
These crooks will never stop.
Funny that there was once a consensus stating that the earth was flat. It took brave people to dispute that consensus, as well. They can't comprehend the truth, because it isn't written into their Bibles.
This was fine for a while, but then something happened. The price of panels dropped very quickly, due to technological advancements but also the Chinese coming into the market. Suddenly, many people in Germany were installing panels. That meant the 3% extra in the normal price of electricity was no longer enough to cover everyone. Instead of taxing more, they lowered the amount that went to the homes with solar panels. The tax has remained the same, but as more panels were installed, less was paid out to each individual. The FDP seems to be against anything ecological and the CDU like to watch the books, so they could both agree to not raise taxes or borrow more money to fix the difference.
I personally think they should raise the tax on power or get the money from gasoline taxes or some such and keep the subsidies a bit higher so as to continue the spread of panels across the country. It's free energy that doesn't require digging a hole in the ground and freeing up captured carbon. They should also promise more loans to solar energy companies as that is what the Chinese have done and why they are more competitive. The very things Obama is getting criticised for, lending money to solar companies, is what the Chinese are doing. Non-Chinese countries put their companies at a disadvantage and shouldn't be surprised when they get mowed down.
as it turns out, trying to compete with China, producing Solar Panels might not be in everyone's best interest . ESPECIALLY when solar panels are yet to prove that they are worthwhile investments. But we aren't talking about the prudent thing to do are we? no, we're really just talking about your misguided sense of 'morality' and your very own self interest? Agreed, I am sure Solar Panels are great business for China. They get some pretty amazing perks from the Governemtnt there, no doubt. It sounds like your kind of place.
Germany takes a very big step towards eliminating Nuclear power. Good for the country!
Now they seem to have stepped backwards on this position. Why?
I can only suppose that Germany has no intentions on really doing away with the Atomic Energy plants.
Please!, make up your minds and then stick with it. Any holdup on utilizing solar energy will put us right back where we were.
To an outsider, or insider, it seems the people running the system are schizo!