Report on 2030 Coal Phase-Out Delayed Until Spring

A submission of the report at an earlier date had originally been expected. It is now becoming apparent that the review can only be completed in the spring of the coming year. The Federal Ministry of Economics states that the scope of the questions to be examined has proven larger than initially assumed.

At the center of the review is the question of whether security of supply in Germany will remain guaranteed even after additional coal-fired power plants are shut down. At the same time, electricity prices and their development for private households as well as for industry are to be examined.

Impacts on North Rhine-Westphalia

The debate over the coal phase-out is closely linked to the coal regions in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as in the eastern federal states. In NRW, the company RWE operates several large-scale power plants whose decommissioning is planned as part of the phase-out. The economic consequences for the affected locations are a central topic of the ongoing debate.

Observers point out that the delay of the report does not automatically mean a postponement of the phase-out date. The law provides for a phase-out of coal-fired power generation by no later than 2038, with numerous power plants scheduled to go offline at significantly earlier dates. The report itself does not change this legal framework.

Positions of Critics and Environmental Organizations

Critics from the lignite mining regions have long warned that a phase-out that is too rapid without sufficient follow-up measures could endanger jobs and municipal finances. They call for binding structural aid and the expansion of alternative employment opportunities in the affected regions. Environmental organizations, on the other hand, emphasize that the phase-out must be carried out swiftly in order to achieve the climate targets.

The Federal Ministry of Economics has repeatedly stressed in the past that the phase-out pathway is aligned with European and national climate targets. At the same time, the development of the electricity market, the expansion of renewable energies, and grid expansion are being continuously monitored in order to identify potential risks at an early stage.

There is keen anticipation regarding the conclusions the report will contain in the spring of 2027. Should it contain indications of a threat to security of supply or significant electricity price increases, this could trigger a political debate about adjustments to the phase-out pathway. Until then, the existing legal regulations remain in force.