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Editorial September

Editorial September
Renewable Energy Hamburg and the Region of Berlin / Brandenburg at exibition Husum Wind 2019 (EEHH GmbH)

Hasn't everything already been said about the 2030 climate protection package? Presumably. Nevertheless, this editorial for the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster still addresses some aspects that are particularly relevant from the point of view of our cluster.

Let’s start with the positive ones. The lifting of the current cap on photovoltaics at 52 gigawatts (GW) is important and necessary to avert the acute and impending expansion stop. All industry associations and coastal states had been requesting that the cap on offshore wind energy be increased from 15 to 20 GW for at least three years now; a move that was overdue. But this increase comes with various reservations and must therefore be enshrined in law as quickly and resiliently as possible.

The list of negative aspects is much longer. Will the package reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55%? This is the main question and one can assume that this target will in all likelihood be missed by a large margin. Some scientists assume that Germany could just about reach the missed 2020 climate protection target (40% carbon dioxide reduction) with the 2030 package instead.

The proposed one-size-fits-all spacing rule for land-based wind farms would greatly diminish their expansion potential, implicitly abandoning the overall target of 65% for the expansion of renewable energy sources in the electricity sector in 2030. In any case, this regulation is not suitable to remedy the current expansion crisis of onshore wind energy in Germany.

The announcement of introducing carbon dioxide pricing in a strictly homoeopathic dosage should have little or no incentive effect on greenhouse gas avoidance. In order to facilitate significant sector coupling in the future - e.g. using green electricity for mobility and heat supply - the cost and tax structure for electricity would have had to be comprehensively adjusted. This is a major disappointment for all companies in Hamburg and northern Germany committed to implementing demonstrators for sector coupling.

Every year, an independent commission of experts is to examine whether the path towards reaching a greenhouse gas reduction of 55% in 2030 is being followed in Germany, whereby reduction paths apply to individual sectors that are to be respected. This is undoubtedly the best component of the package: with this verification mechanism, it will be possible to start tightening up the climate protection plan as early as 2020!

About Astrid Dose

Profilbild zu: Astrid Dose

Talking, writing, organising – and having lots of fun! This is what my days at the EEHH Cluster look like. I’ve been responsible for public relations and marketing for the Hamburg industry network since 2011. I studied History and English and have a soft spot for technical issues.

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