LEAG employees in Cottbus are fighting against unequal power plant plans

LEAG employees in Cottbus are fighting against unequal power plant plans

In Cottbus, a city characterized by its energy industry, there was recently a large-scale protest: More than 2,000 LEAG employees gathered to demonstrate against the planned location requirements for the expansion of new gas power plants. The discontent is focused on the announcement by the Federal Ministry of Economics that the majority of new power plant capacity is to be built in southern Germany. Many Lusatians perceive this as a structural disadvantage of their location, since of the total 20 gigawatts, around 13.3 gigawatts are to be built in southern Germany, specifically in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Only 6.7 gigawatts are available for northern and eastern Germany, which LEAG categorically considers to be too low. Niederlausitz Current reports on the numerous concerns of employees.

During the protest, which took place after a works meeting in the LEAG-Energie Stadium, Uwe Teubner, chairman of the group works council, said that the so-called “South Bonus” not only endangers the future prospects of Lusatia, but also puts social peace in the region to the test. The regions affected by the coal phase-out have a mammoth task ahead of them in transforming their energy regions, which is made even more difficult by unequal opportunities. Some of the LEAG employees have already prepared for the coal phase-out planned for 2038 and now expect a certain level of recognition from the federal government, which is responsible for the transformation of the energy regions.

Transformation of energy regions

LEAG is already specifically planning to build three gigawatts of new hydrogen-capable gas power plants at the Schwarze Pumpe and Jänschwalde locations. These power plants are intended not only to strengthen the energy matrix in Lusatia, but also to support weather-dependent renewable energies. The technical requirements are already in place due to existing grid connections and power plant locations. LEAG CEO Adolf Roesch made it clear that the company has been preparing for this development for two years and is now pushing for the rapid implementation of the power plant strategy. His appeal is underlined by the support of the IGBCE, represented by Michael Vassiliadis, which is also calling for a transformation bonus for investors.

But what about the sustainable energy supply in Germany? According to a report from rbb24 The “southern bonus”, i.e. the preference for new power plant locations in the south, could lead to investments in Lusatia and other affected regions being discouraged. This could jeopardize structural change in these areas and cost jobs. The proposal for the southern bonus has not yet been decided and must be approved by the EU Commission. At a time when jobs urgently need to be secured and the energy transition pushed forward, the last word may not yet have been spoken.

State support for structural change

The federal government has taken on the challenge with the Coal Phase-out Act and the Structural Strengthening Act for Coal Regions. As part of these laws, which were passed in July 2020, coal-fired power generation is to be ended by 2038 and extensive financial resources are planned: up to 40 billion euros will be made available for the affected lignite regions. In addition, at least 5,000 new jobs are to be created in federal authorities by the end of 2028 in order to mitigate the consequences of the coal phase-out. This commitment is summarized in a report by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, which describes and measures to support the regions detailed, how the government plans to lead the energy regions into the future.