Deal reached on landmark German renewable energy bill

The three parties in Germany’s coalition government have resolved the final differences between them over a landmark renewable energy bill.

According to information obtained by dpa, the negotiations meant a key target on climate neutrality for 2035 has been scrapped.

But at the same time, the deal has firmed up a target for the expansion of wind energy.

The bill, put forward by Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green party, was passed by the cabinet but not supported by the parliamentary party of the smallest coalition member, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

During the negotiations between the parliamentary parties, the FDP successfully argued for the abolition of an extra levy on electricity bills to pay for the expansion of renewable energy.

“The financing of renewables via electricity bills is thus finally history,’’ Senior FDP lawmaker Lukas Köhler told dpa.

A clause on achieving a climate-neutral electricity system by 2035, which the FDP also objected to, has also been removed.

According to the latest draft, every federal state must make around 2 per cent of its land available for wind power.

This target was part of the original coalition agreement between the Greens, the FDP and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD).

“This is a clear signal that the expansion of renewables now has top priority,’’ said Matthias Miersch from the SPD.

The FDP stressed that each German state could decide for itself how to achieve the 2 per cent target.

This means that each could decide on the minimum distance necessary from a wind turbine to the nearest residential building.

This minimum distance has been a matter of heated debate in Germany and slowed down planning for wind turbine fields.

Most German states have allocated less than 2 per cent of their land for wind turbines.

The vice-president of the Greens’ parliamentary faction, Julia Verlinden, said that by 2030, the share of green electricity would be raised to 80 per cent.

“We are now clearing the way for renewables,’’ she said.