Germany should give more state support to the production of wind turbines and solar plants to achieve its new energy goals, Economics Minister Robert Habeck said in Berlin on Tuesday after talks with industry representatives.
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"We have to strengthen the production capacities for renewable energies and electricity grids in Germany and Europe," said Habeck, who is a member of the country's main environmental party, the Greens, dpa reported.
"This is important for the success of energy transition and to secure jobs and value creation in Germany and Europe."
The government aims to boost renewable energies in the coming years to achieve climate goals and become less dependent on fossil fuels. However, production of solar plants has increasingly shifted to China, while the German solar industry has waned.
The strategy also favours EU tax credits based on the US model or corresponding alternative instruments. Habeck said that the aim was to make tax write-offs possible at the EU level, using EU funds for this purpose.
He has also shown interest in an EU Commission proposal on tax breaks for companies investing in climate-friendly technologies.
Habeck and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire recently visited Washington to express concern about disadvantages to European companies posed by huge US government subsidies for the green development of domestic industries.
Tax credits introduced by the US Inflation Reduction Act led to significantly lower operating costs not only in the photovoltaic industry but also in other sectors and had promoted investments in manufacturing.
Meanwhile, in the first half of 2023, Habeck wants to present proposals for a state-subsidized industrial electricity price, addressing the complaints of domestic industries about high energy costs compared with other countries. ■
A very active and complex mid-May weather pattern is set to produce numerous areas of severe weather, heavy rain, high winds, and anomalous temperatures through this weekend.