The federal economic ministry has followed the German coal commission’s recommendation by preparing a draft bill to phase-out coal power generation. However, things are going too slowly, according to the Greens, EURACTIV Germany reports.

On Wednesday (3 July), the German Ministry of Economics and Technology published its legislative strategy to phase-out coal. Accordingly, a draft law on hard coal is to be drafted by autumn, triggering negotiations with lignite-fired power station operators as to which plants would be shut down and when.

By the end of the year, a coal phase-out law should, therefore, be adopted.

The compromise stipulates that by 2038, Germany will have abandoned coal entirely. In Germany, coal power still accounts for about a third of electricity production, amounting to a total of 41 gigawatts.

As a first step, the German cabinet adopted the guiding principles for a “Structural Strengthening Act for Coal Regions” on 22 May.

By 2038, the regions that are currently still involved in lignite mining will have received funds amounting to €26 billion to ensure they undergo a profound structural change.

Currently, around 20,000 people in Germany are still directly dependent on the coal industry, primarily in the regions of Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. These regions will benefit from these funds.