In brief | 25 March '25
The Guardian:
Germany’s new parliament sits for the first time on Tuesday with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) the strongest opposition faction, as negotiators seek to iron out key differences on tax and migration that are likely to dominate a new coalition government under Friedrich Merz.
Reuters:
U.S.-German start-up Focused Energy aims to build a fusion pilot plant at RWE's Biblis site by 2035.
DPA:
Munich prosecutors said on Monday that charges of forming a criminal association have been laid against five members of the former Last Generation (Letzte Generation) climate activist group.
E.ON:
The alliance consisting of E.ON, 1KOMMA5°, Octopus Energy, Schneider Electric, Rabot Energy, as well as the Federal Association of New Energy Industries (bne) and the General Association of Housing Industry (GdW), is calling in a joint position paper to systematically and cost-effectively integrate this enormous potential into the energy system by the end of this legislative period.
Reuters:
A bold move by Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz to ease longstanding caps on government spending has won praise internationally but signs are emerging of a domestic political blowback.
Bloomberg:
A new version of the EU’s energy tax overhaul recommends giving “special treatment” to the bloc’s energy-intensive industries and different options for ensuring rates are adjusted for inflation.
Climate Policy:
Electricity, when serving primary needs such as heating or lighting, is finally three times more expensive, mostly because of taxes, than electricity dedicated to producing e-fuel for aviation, a tertiary need.
