The Russian invasion in Ukraine has jeopardized long-held fundamental assumption in German and EU energy policy. German and European Union society, policymakers and the energy sector need to react quickly and profoundly to this Zeitenwende (turning point).
In an open letter, Prof. Lion Hirth, his colleagues at the Centre for Sustainability and leading German energy analysts offer cornerstones and a set of options for dealing with the imminent energy crisis. The main challenge is for German (55% of imports) and EU (40%) economies to quickly decrease their dependence on natural gas from Russia. This is particularly challenging given inflexible gas transport infrastructures (fixed pipelines and limited LNG terminal capacities).
Import and fuel diversification as well as significant demand reductions are at the core of the response strategy, with heating demand reduction by turning down thermostats being one of the most scalable key short-term options. In the mid-term, energy efficiency, massive expansion of renewables and electrification are key solutions. In face of the the scale of the challenge, the response also involves expanding the lifetime of coal and nuclear power plants to save natural gas consumption whereever possible.
The letter – published in Tagesspiegel Background Energy & Climate - is not based on new academic research, but on the long-standing expertise and professional experience of the authors in energy and climate economics and policy. While the authors may have different perspectives on individual issues, they believe that decisive action based on these key points is sensible and necessary, and they aim at catalyzing the required related societal and expert debates.
You are welcome to sign the open letter. We will be regularly updating the list of signatories.
Views expressed may not necessarily reflect the views and values of the Hertie School.