Frankfurt/ Düsseldorf/ Berlin – The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) today presented the results of its energy transition monitoring. Future energy policy and the design of the energy system are to be guided by these findings. At the same time, VDMA Power Systems and IG Metall, in collaboration with the consulting firm Prognos, have presented a brief study. This study aims to highlight complementary industrial policy perspectives and underscore the importance of resilient value creation in the context of the energy transition.
Commenting on the publication of the Energy Transition Monitoring report and the BMWE’s so-called “10 Key Measures,” Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director of the VDMA, said:
- “The monitoring report confirms what everyone already knew. The energy transition can and must become more efficient. However, neither the study nor the ministry’s ten key measures provide a clear roadmap for the future.”
- “The monitoring and the minister’s statements paint a picture in which the focus is now solely on the cost issue, which will lead to ongoing adjustments throughout the 2030s. Furthermore, only those who keep an eye on technological developments and domestic value creation through transformative technologies can succeed.”
- “It therefore remains unclear how we can quickly establish a modernized framework for the necessary investments in technology, manufacturing, and the application of globally competitive transformation technologies. Even the commitments to the need for hydrogen ramp-up and carbon management offer little help here.”
Jürgen Kerner, second chairman of IG Metall, comments on the Energy Transition Monitoring Report:
- “To secure Germany’s future as an industrial hub, we need renewable energy. That is why it is positive that the federal government is not calling into question the 80 percent target for expanding renewables. However, we have doubts as to whether we should actually expect lower electricity consumption.”
- “We must not now limit the potential for the future development of industry—such as hydrogen and artificial intelligence (AI). We urgently need planning certainty for companies and employees in the energy plant construction sector.”
- “The government should not only focus on costs but also on securing jobs and value creation in Germany and Europe. The costs of grid expansion will rise. The necessary financing must be secured for the long term.”
Regarding the Prognos brief study by VDMA Power Systems and IG Metall, Dr. Dennis Rendschmidt, Managing Director of VDMA Power Systems, says:
- “A reality check at the beginning of the legislative term is fundamentally sensible to verify whether earlier assumptions and forecasts still hold true. Our study is explicitly intended as a supplement to the monitoring report. Our aim is to broaden the perspective beyond the energy-sector and primarily cost-oriented viewpoints.”
- “A cost-oriented view of the energy transition is economically necessary, but it falls short. This is because investments in energy infrastructure are not merely expenses; they also serve as drivers of value creation for the German economy. They create demand for components, secure jobs, and generate tax revenue. In this way, they contribute to long-term economic stability.”
- “To ensure security of supply, technological sovereignty, and industrial value creation, continuity and political reliability are essential. Spreading out and sustaining the expansion over time while maintaining the overall expansion targets would have significantly greater positive effects on the economy as a whole than a permanent reduction in the expansion. Once factories have been relocated or lost, it is simply very expensive to bring them back.”
- “Domestic value creation delivers economic benefits. The energy transition offers significant opportunities for industry in the field of transformation technologies. In addition to positive employment effects, it opens up intra-European and global export potential that contributes to Germany’s economic strength.”
- “The energy system is critical infrastructure. Our study underscores the importance of a resilient energy system that is less dependent on non-European energy suppliers. This applies both to fuels and, in particular, to energy facilities. Preserving technological know-how in Germany and Europe is a key factor in this regard.”
Manuel Bloemers, Secretary of the IG Metall Executive Board, Department of Industrial and Sectoral Policy, comments on the study:
- “Energy policy is a matter of trust; we must not change the rules and expansion paths every four years. Companies and employees are adapting to the changes, but in return they expect predictability and reliability. Abrupt policy shifts make it difficult to manage production capacities effectively and tend to drive up costs.”
- “AI applications, heat pumps, electric cars, and electrified industrial processes will drive up electricity demand massively in the medium to long term. At the same time, renewable energy significantly reduces the cost of electricity generation. The long-term renewable energy expansion targets should therefore be maintained in their entirety. This is the only way to achieve climate goals as well. Extending the timeline for the mid-range expansion phase can help keep overall system costs within reasonable limits and secure employment and value creation in the long term.”
- “Well-trained and highly qualified workers—the kind we need to manage the energy and heating transitions—are in short supply. We must therefore do everything in our power to ensure that the good industrial jobs we have in energy plant and power plant construction are preserved. This, for example, generates tax revenue and fosters growth in Germany.”
Prognos Brief Study: “Economic Opportunities and Resilience Through the Sustained Expansion of Renewable Energy in Germany”
Energy Transition. Efficient. Action. Monitoring Report on the Start of the 21st Legislative Period
