Faced with dwindling gas storage levels and a heavy dependence on U.S. liquid natural gas (LNG), Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) has called for a greater reliance on domestic brown‑coal power. “We have a target that is absolutely right. We want to reduce CO₂, but it also has to work economically and socially” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. Kretschmer says the government’s energy policy needs an unbiased assessment and a renewed focus on brown coal.
He reminded reporters that the phase‑out of brown‑coal power was originally intended to be accompanied by the construction of gas plants, because gas emits about half the CO₂ of domestic brown coal. “The path we charted for our energy transition has changed with the disappearance of Russian gas” he explained. Adding that LNG has a comparable climate impact to brown coal, he argued that the new mix has undermined the original strategy.
Kretschmer therefore urges that the CO₂ price be suspended for brown coal, so it can remain competitive. “From my point of view it is absurd to heavily tax this fuel through CO₂ levies while simultaneously favouring LNG, which has a similar climate factor and must be imported” he said. He stressed that brown‑coal power keeps the state energy‑independent, preserves jobs, and makes use of existing infrastructure. “We are building new gas turbines at old coal plants without actually reducing the climate impact. We need to discuss this carefully or risk harming our economy”.
