Germany's new Energy Min eyes reform of changeover to renewables - report

Dec 31, 2013 - Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's new Minister of Economics and Energy, is considering a reform of the country's changeover to renewable energy sources, Gabriel said in an interview for Welt am Sonntag.

Gabriel, who is chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, referred to the many problems in the field and said that the transition has been partially hit by anarchy. "All are taking part, but no one knows to what aim", Gabriel said, adding that this is the biggest problem before the government.

During the talks for the grand coalition with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Markel, Gabriel pointed energy transition among his personal tasks, which resulted in the inclusion of the issue in the competences of Gabriel's ministry. Renewable energy, a subject of the Environment Ministry before, is now a crucial part of the Economics and Energy Ministry. Gabriel had already been Environment Minister in the former grand coalition cabinet of Merkel between 2005 and 2009.

Now Gabriel wants to quickly present benchmarks for the reform of the country's renewable energy act. According to it, the energy transition should not deeply harm Germany's industry. However, the Greens party has already blamed the government that it may turn to coal and not to renewable energy. This was rejected in the interview by Gabriel, who also said that the country could not simultaneously exit the nuclear and coal sector.

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