Germany Prepares Coal and Oil Plants for Winter Emergency
The German government is drafting a law to reactivate coal and oil-fired power plants to prevent energy shortages if a natural gas emergency is declared.
The Federal Government of Germany is preparing a draft law to reactivate coal- and oil-fired power plants from its grid reserve to prevent energy shortages this winter. Under the proposal, these plants will be kept fueled and on standby to replace gas-fired generation if the government declares a natural gas emergency, a move intended to preserve scarce gas for households and industry.
Plant operators will be required to maintain enough fuel to run at full output for 30 days. This action follows reports that Germany missed its winter gas storage target of 70% capacity by the beginning of November. While the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany stated that low storage levels do not currently threaten supply security, the government is moving forward with the standby measures as a precaution.
The decision to rely on fossil fuel reserves occurs despite Germany's long-term goal to be climate neutral by 2045 and its previous efforts to phase out coal and nuclear power.
