Electricity consumers and the state are not legally obliged to compensate energy companies for switching off coal-fired power stations. This legal position is confirmed by the experts of the Bundestag in a statement, according to RP Online.

A service of the Bundestag had already come to the conclusion in October 2018 that billions in compensation payments to RWE and Co. are not necessary.

“The – still current – development of the scientific services of the German Bundestag comes to the conclusion that a legally ordered decommissioning of coal power plants is basically possible without compensation,” it says in the current opinion of lawyers. At best, compensation was required in such individual cases where otherwise unreasonable economic burdens remained. “The Coal Commission’s report gives no indication of the existence of unreasonable economic burdens in relation to individual power plants,” say the lawyers.

Nevertheless, the Commission had recommended compensation payments to the corporations in its exit decision at the end of January, as the Federal Government had previously provided the Commission with a corresponding statement. “The scientific service reaffirms that there is no entitlement for RWE & Co. to compensation for the decommissioning of their old power plants,” said Green Group Vice Oliver Krischer. “The billion claims of RWE are absurd, especially if you look at the legal situation.”