Carsten Schneider (SPD) has defended the promotion of renewable energy in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Anyone who attacks the energy transition harms the national interest, the minister said. He was responding to a dispute with Katherina Reiche, who as head of an industry association had criticized the costs of solar subsidies.
Schneider rejected the accusation that solar panels primarily benefit the wealthy. “Solar panels are not a luxury for the rich,” he stressed. The technology has become so cheap that it pays off for many households. The debate over the costs of the energy transition is often exaggerated.
At the same time, the minister warned against inflated expectations of Friedrich Merz’s (CDU) chancellorship. “Some expectations of Friedrich Merz’s chancellorship were greatly exaggerated,” Schneider said. The Union has “partly fallen victim to its own grandiose election campaign promises.” Even in parts of the business community, there was the unrealistic assumption that a change of government alone would fix everything.
Schneider pointed to external factors such as US Donald Trump’s policies, tariffs, the Iran war, and China’s changed role as a competitor. Germany’s previous business model of cheap energy from Russia and open global markets has fallen into disarray. Nevertheless, Germany still enjoys great respect internationally.
The minister expressed confidence that Germany could seize new opportunities with green technology. “If we embrace the new, we have good chances, for example with green technology,” he said. He tries to convey this spirit of optimism. When asked about the peace that the whale Timmy now has, Schneider did not respond further.
Source: www.faz.net
