Two-thirds of Germans support shift to renewables - poll

Sep 5, 2013 - Around 68% of Germans continue to support the country's shift towards renewable energy, a poll carried out by TNS Infratest and presented by trade union IG Bergbau, Chemie, Energie (IGBCE) shows.

However, only 18% of the polled consider the efforts of the German government in the field as good. Worse, a mere 9% of the surveyed companies give a positive assessment to the measures implemented by the government.

Despite that 60% of Germans feel the increasing energy costs as a burden, the number of opponents of nuclear power has even risen compared with the period right after the accident at Japanese Fukushima two years ago. Germans have given hydropower the highest ranking, or 79 out of 100 points, wind and solar power come next, with 76 points each. Nuclear power has been placed towards the bottom line with 30 points.

Michael Vassiliadis, head of IGBCE, once again called for a strong Ministry of Energy in Germany and for reforms in the renewable energy law (EEG). According to him, the current legislation leads to higher expenses, it is unjust and brings market distortion. The EEG law guarantees to the producers of green energy a fixed fee, which stands considerably above market prices and is paid by the consumers regardless of their income. The sum is estimated at EUR 20 billion (USD 26.3bn) for 2013.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.32)

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