Germany’s two houses of parliament passed emergency legislation on Friday to reopen coal-fired power plants, further imperiling its plans to phase out coal by 2030 as Berlin scrambles to replace Russian gas imports quickly amid growing fears of an abrupt cutoff.
The move was described by German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck as a “painful but necessary” short-term measure to wean the country off Russian gas. The emergency legislation also comes after Habeck warned late last month that Russia could be using the planned maintenance work on Nord Stream 1 as a “pretext” for blocking gas delivery to Europe for the foreseeable future.
That maintenance is scheduled to begin on Monday, German officials said.
The new legislation clears the way for Germany to increase its use of coal-fired power plants — and restart facilities that had already been in the process of being shut down for a short-term, “transitional” basis as the country prepares for the possibility of a complete cutoff of Russian natural gas imports.
The new legislation classified the coal plant move as a matter of public security. Legislators also passed new measures Friday aimed at boosting the country’s expansion of renewable energy.
Prior to the war in Ukraine, Germany had planned to phase out coal by 2030, but leaders described the new temporary measure as a short-term “crisis management” tool to help avert possible disaster this winter.
Germany is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas, which provides roughly 35% of its supply — down from the 55% it supplied prior to its invasion of Ukraine.
DOT PROPOSES MANDATING EMISSIONS TARGETS FOR STATES AND CITIES
EU officials and analysts have also warned that a prolonged shutoff would likely have “seismic” ramifications for Europe, which relies heavily on Russian gas supplies, and could put the European Union’s winter storage targets at risk.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned EU nations earlier this week to prepare emergency plans in the event of a complete cutoff of Russian gas, telling legislators during a speech in Strasbourg, France: “It is very important to have a European overview and a coordinated approach to a potential complete cut off of Russian gas.”
“If worst comes to worst, then we have to be prepared,” she said.
As of Friday, EU gas storage facilities were filled to about 63% capacity, a marked improvement since the start of the war, when storage levels were just one-third full — but well below the 90% levels that EU leaders hope to reach by Nov. 1, ahead of the winter season.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The situation is serious,” Habeck said in a statement last month introducing the emergency legislation. “We are therefore continuing to strengthen precautions and taking additional measures to reduce gas consumption. This means that gas consumption must fall further, but more gas must be put into the storage facilities. Otherwise, things will really get tight in winter.”
