Germany is to reopen mothballed coal power plants to combat high gas prices, piling pressure on Boris Johnson to cut taxes on household energy bills.
The German government will pass emergency laws to reactivate the coal plants as Europe takes steps to deal with reduced energy supplies from Russia. [bold, links added]
The announcement on Sunday came as part of a series of measures, including new incentives for companies to burn less natural gas.
It prompted the Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, a potential leadership rival to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to call for a reduction in energy taxes.
Mr. Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, said: “And we’re still charging people extra tax on heating bills…
“Taxing families when Germany, China, and many more simply burn more coal is incoherent. We need to work together and not just reduce emissions at home.”
Alarm has grown over the prospect of fuel reserves running out as countries cut ties with Russia following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last week the Kremlin reduced flows through the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany by 60pc, as part of an escalating pressure campaign by the Russian President.
On Sunday Robert Habeck, Germany’s economic minister said: “To reduce gas consumption, less gas must be used to generate electricity. Coal-first power plants will have to be used more instead.”
The minister, a member of the Greens party, added that bringing back coal-first power plants was “painful, but it is a sheer necessity”.
It comes as Britain faces soaring energy bills, which are due to increase again later this year with a further rise in the price cap just as the cost of living crisis bites.
Read rest at MSN
Isn’t it odd how when the citizens start to really feel the strain from higher energy bills the elite who claim to be trying to save the world suddenly go back to using the cheap fossil fuels.
You somehow forgot to highlight that the main cause of the problem was Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear energy, an extremely ill advised decision that was inevitably going to lead the the current situation.
“the citizens start to really feel the strain” It was the citizens who voted to end nuclear based on FF propaganda.
And don´t tell nobody warned you¡
Watch President Trump warning Germany in 2018 at a UN General Assembly and Watch the German delegation’s response at UNGA when Trump says “Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course.”