Germany begins allocating €40 billion to coal regions to start phase-out

(EurActiv, 31 Aug 2020) By 2038, Germany’s last coal-fired power plants are expected to be shut down. To reorient the regions economically, however, they are to be replaced by research institutions and companies. A coordination committee will now begin allocating the funding, EURACTIV Germany reports.

Before the end of this year, the first lignite and hard coal piles will be taken off the grid in accordance with Germany’s coal phase-out law.

To ensure that the €40 billion in structural aid promised by the federal government can actually flow, a federal-state agreement was signed on Thursday (27 August) by a coordinating committee consisting of representatives of the federal government and the coal-producing states. On Wednesday, the Federal Cabinet had cleared the way for this.

The newly convened committee will now ensure a fair distribution of funds in the coal-producing states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Structural Reinforcement Law provides for a total of €26 billion to be provided by 2038 in the form of federal programmes, with the states receiving a further €14 billion for their own investments.

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EurActiv, 31 Aug 2020: Germany begins allocating €40 billion to coal regions to start phase-out