PRESS RELEASE Secure grid expansion, avoid cost explosion: Federal government must resolve the financing issue now

Frankfurt am Main – Following the conclusion today of the conference of state energy ministers, IG Metall is calling on the federal government to immediately resolve the financing problems surrounding the expansion of the power grid. “Without a rapid and reliable expansion of the grids, the energy transition will fail and thousands of industrial jobs will be at risk,” warns Jürgen Kerner, Second Chairman of IG Metall. “The federal government must resolve the financing issue now—otherwise, we face the threat of investment bottlenecks, rising costs, and competitive disadvantages for industry. As a result, we will not only lose jobs in our core industries—we will also squander opportunities for new jobs in future-oriented sectors.”

At the conference of state energy ministers, it became clear once again that the continued expansion of renewable energy and the power grids is one of the central points of conflict between the federal government and the states. State representatives warned that political uncertainties and cost issues could slow down investment and jeopardize the energy transition.

IG Metall is therefore calling for reliable financing: “The federal government must now quickly provide clarity and present viable financing instruments that will accelerate grid expansion and make it affordable,” Kerner urges. “Only in this way can the transformation of the energy supply succeed and industrial value creation in Germany be secured.”

Expansion of Renewables Requires Local Content Requirements

In addition to grid expansion, a clear roadmap is also needed for the expansion of renewables. IG Metall therefore expressly supports the resolution of the Energy Ministers’ Conference, which calls for strengthening the solar and wind industries in Europe and bringing more production back to Europe. In this context, the union calls on the federal government not to further slow down the Industrial Accelerator Act in Brussels and, in particular, to clearly support local content requirements. “If taxpayer money is used for the energy transition, for example, it must also secure and create jobs here at home,” says Kerner. “You can’t explain anything else to the workers.”