It took longer than planned, but now the coal phase-law: On Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet has approved the draft. Now the Bundestag is on the series until the middle of the year, everything should be in dry towels, so that then also the law of the billions in aid to the coal regions to come into force. In principle, it is now clear how the exit strategy from Coal for the climate protection in Germany will expire. An Overview of the six most important points and still open questions:

1. Compensation for coal-fired power plants

the stone coal Mines in Germany there is no more power plants, but still. The operators can apply to it, in return for compensation to switch off. Who goes in the morning from the network, can get more this year, to a maximum of 165,000 euros per Megawatt, then every year less and 2026, only 49,000 euros. The goal is to include as many greenhouse gases for as little compensation save. The electricity and heat supply needs to remain secured. Who surrounded a power station with heat production voluntarily from coal to Gas, can get a carbon replacement Bonus. From 2027 will be switched off by order of law and without compensation - which already provides for a lot of criticism.

2. Compensation for brown coal-operators

the brown coal power plants also build days, therefore, tenders were too complicated for the coal. There is, instead, a fixed switch-off path from 2020 to 2038, are you going to start in North Rhine-Westphalia, Eastern Germany is for later. Operators such as RWE and the Czech operator of EPH, the Leag and Mibrag belong to, get together, 4.35 billion euros.

3. By 2032, the exit will be checked four Times

Four times is officially checked how it runs with the Coal phase - out- whether the power supply is secured as the price of Electricity develops and how it is to climate protection. This happens for the first time in 2022, then 2026, 2029 and 2032. From 2026 on, it is also checked whether the Coal phase-out can be brought forward by three years - so if in 2035 instead of 2038 is the end.

4. Relief for electricity consumers

Starting in 2023, to reduce the Federal grid charges for transmission networks with a subsidy to enable smaller distribution networks to relieve themselves clients. This includes the ability to relieve companies with large electricity demand, so that they can compete in the international competition, when the electricity prices are rising is coming. On the climate package, a reduction in the EEG levy is also provided, the citizens pay the electricity bill. How electricity prices will develop is not yet clear.

5. Billion for older coal-buddy

Who can 58 years of age or older and his Job in the lignite or hard coal sector by the Coal phase - lose, for the time until retirement for a maximum of five years, an adjustment request money. Also compromising of the pension to be offset. The Federal government expects that with the cost of a maximum of 4,81 billion euros between 2020 and 2043.

6. This happens with the released of CO2-certificates

The German coal-fired power plants take part in trading CO2 emission rights at the EU level. The law regulates that the national Coal phase-free certificates can be deleted. Otherwise, the gases would simply push in the power plants of other countries. More details will be regulated in the course of time, because the bill is complicated and there is already a mechanism that skims the superfluous certificates.

Does the conversion to green power at all?

in Part, gas-fired power plants to replace the coal, but as fast as possible renewable energies - solar, Wind, and biomass - to fill the gap. Currently the green electricity is, according to Figures from the think-tank Agora Energiewende at 42.6 percent, by 2030 there will be 65 percent. In addition, the power consumption increases, because more electric cars are on the road. As the flap is open - the experts agree that Wind and solar plants need to be faster to be built than in the past.

But since it hooks, especially in the case of wind turbines on Land. Planning and approval take a long, often local residents are fighting back against the wind wheels with lawsuits and citizen initiatives. Arrangements for the promotion and acceptance should actually have been in the coal act, phase-in, but because the black-red coalition is divided fairly, they were postponed. Now it's time to give up the spring of a concept.

"supply with remote heat-in some cities

vulnerable," Green party parliamentary leader Anton Hofreiter called for the Grand coalition, the bill to take back. "The package must be no law," he said the Newspapers of the Funke media group. The SPD and the Union should respond to the demands of the coal Commission and the coal compromise, return, otherwise, they have caused a massive loss of confidence. Among other things, could force factory shutdowns to late and not continuously.

The Vice-President of the German Association of cities, Markus Lewe, warned in the Newspapers of the editorial network in Germany: "If coal power plants will have to be after 2026 without compensation shut down, is jeopardizing the supply with district heat in some cities." The earlier phasing out of the compensation, the recommendation of the coal Commission, who have proposed up to 2030, compensation for the shutdown of coal-fired power plants disagree.

RWE chief: "Hope, Greta Fans accept later a wind Turbine behind the garden" FOCUS Online/Wochit RWE chief: "Hope, Greta Fans accept later a wind Turbine behind the garden."

pom/dpa Date Of Update: 31 January 2020, 01:01