2023-05-24 14:20:36
MIn the midst of the struggle over the heating law, the next conflict on the subject is emerging. According to the will of the federal government, the federal states should submit plans in the coming years on how the heat transition should be implemented across the board.
For large cities, these heating plans should be ready by the end of 2026, smaller cities should have two years longer, according to a draft law by the federal government from the beginning of May, which is available to the German Press Agency.
Sharp criticism of the plans comes from the Union. CSU General Secretary Martin Huber told the German Press Agency: “After the heating hammer comes the green heating pillory.” By collecting data on the heating habits of citizens, the Greens wanted to create a “bureaucratic monster”. However, the SPD-led Ministry of Construction is in charge of the law.
Thuringia’s CDU boss Mario Voigt told the “Bild” newspaper: “Habeck’s heating mania must be put a stop sign.” The minister ignores the massive concerns and fears of the citizens. “Now he wants to use the Energy Stasi to look at people in the boiler room like in a snooping state.”
Hesse’s Minister of the Interior, Peter Beuth, told the “Bild” that the traffic lights in Berlin “obviously slipped the data protection standards”. When it comes to the prosecution of the worst crimes such as child abuse, not even an initially anonymous IP address should be allowed to be saved, “but when it comes to our heaters, the traffic light state suddenly wants to save all sorts of personal data including home address”.
Address, use, year of construction
The federal states should be responsible for the heating plans, but they can transfer this task directly to the municipalities. They should provide information on how specific buildings or companies are heated and how much energy is consumed.
Specifically, “building-specific annual final energy consumption of grid-bound energy sources over the last three years in kilowatt hours per year” should be recorded as far as possible, along with the address, use and year of construction. The government also wants to collect information on heating networks, including capacity utilization or route lengths.
Construction Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) had already announced the municipal heat plan. Habeck justified the project by saying that the heat transition can only be implemented locally, but there is a strong need for coordination.
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities warned that the acute lack of staff in the municipalities could endanger the project. Managing Director Gerd Landsberg warned that a third of the workforce would leave by 2035. “That will also be a stumbling block in municipal heating planning,” he told the “Bild”.
Traffic light argues about the heating law
Meanwhile, the traffic light coalition’s other major conflict issue – the planned replacement of oil and gas heating systems – is not coming to an end. The Greens politician Irene Mihalic accused the FDP on Wednesday of behaving “like an opposition with ministerial posts”. Habeck had accused the FDP of “breach of word” on Tuesday. The Free Democrats had prevented the law from being discussed in Parliament this week because of concerns. On Wednesday, a current hour on the subject should take place in the Bundestag.
There is disagreement as to whether the law can still be passed before the summer break. Several FDP politicians consider this impossible in view of many questions from their party. The SPD MP Katja Mast, on the other hand, said on Deutschlandfunk that it could be done with a “constructive attitude” on the part of the traffic light partners.
According to the draft adopted by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 onwards every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent green energy. This should apply to all owners up to the age of 80. Existing oil and gas heating systems can continue to be operated and broken ones can be repaired. The law is considered an important component of the plan to make Germany climate-neutral by 2045.
Habeck on the committee
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Habeck defended the appointment of a fund founder with a business relationship with his State Secretary Udo Philipp (Greens). “We have not found this expertise anywhere else,” said Habeck in Berlin in his hearing at a joint meeting of the committees for economics and for climate protection and energy. The person concerned had a rare experience in setting up a venture capital fund while still a student.
It’s about Sebastian Böhmer, one of the founders of First Momentum Ventures, an investment fund that also includes money from Philipp. In August 2022, Habeck appointed him to the “Young Digital Economy” advisory board, which advises the minister on growth conditions for start-ups, among other things. The advisory board only has an advisory function, the ministry said. The cooperation is honorary, the members decide independently on which topics they give opinions. “I’m not friends with Mr. Böhmer,” said Philipp.
Habeck said he had explicitly asked for suggestions from people from the student milieu, so that not only large companies were represented on the advisory board. “I didn’t know that there was a financial stake there,” said Habeck, referring to Philipp’s role. “But it’s also irrelevant.” The Advisory Board is not in a position to make political decisions that lead to increased profits there. In addition, 29 people are members there, which practically neutralizes the influence of individuals.
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