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FAZ/World Economic Forum

鈥淧raise for German competitiveness鈥�

According to the World Economic Forum鈥檚 new Global Competitiveness Report, Germany is one of the most economically competitive countries in the world, reports Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Germany鈥檚 ranking improved from 5th to 4th place. Good marks for infrastructure, innovation and market size contribute to the economy鈥檚 standing, according to the report. Switzerland came first, followed by Singapore and the US.

See the World Economic Forum鈥檚 Global Competitiveness Report in English .

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dpa

鈥淒ispute over state aid for RWE鈥�

The suggestion of state aid for battered utility RWE by Armin Laschet, deputy head of Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 CDU party, has sparked controversy, reports German news agency dpa. Garrelt Duin, economy minister for RWE鈥檚 home state North Rhine-Westphalia said he cannot imagine using taxpayers鈥� money. Instead, policy must create reasonable conditions for the industry, Duin argued. Investors took the discussion as a positive sign for RWE, with shares up six percent, according to the report.

See yesterday鈥檚 News Digest with Laschet鈥檚 comments here.

See the dpa report in German.

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German carmakers鈥� association (VDA)/FAZ

鈥淭here is an anti-diesel lobby鈥�

Questioning diesel technology because of VW鈥檚 emissions manipulations is totally unjustified, Matthias Wissmann, head of the German carmakers' association told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Wissmann听said there was an 鈥渁nti-diesel lobby, which is led by non-governmental organisations.鈥� He added that companies will "do everything to explain the new, clean diesel cars听to consumers."

See the interview in German . 听

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Handelsblatt

鈥淲here, please, is the industry minister?鈥�

In an opinion piece for the Handelsblatt, Thomas Sigmund criticises energy and economics minister听Sigmar Gabriel for failing to limit damage to the image of German听industry听from the VW exhaust scandal. Sigmund says the Green Party has scored points from the scandal. But it is Gabriel's duty to take action to limit its impact on the 鈥淢ade in Germany鈥� brand. He suggests the minister could put revision of corporate governance rules at the top of his agenda. Instead, Gabriel has remained silent on the issue, Sigmund says, mainly because of behind-the-scenes competition between the CSU and SPD coalition partners.

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Yale Climate Connections

鈥淗ow Germany鈥檚 Renewable Energy Revolution Took Off鈥�

Germany's听geography and huge economy make it an unlikely birthplace for a renewable energy revolution, reports Sarah Peach in Yale Climate Connections. But citizens鈥� protest against nuclear energy, beginning decades ago, and the search for alternatives, were responsible for a grassroots energy transition. 鈥淭hese days, the fight against climate change 鈥� in addition to anti-nuclear sentiment 鈥� is still driving the renewable revolution in Germany,鈥� writes Peach.

Read the article in English .

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Federal grid agency (Bundesnetzagentur)

鈥淪upport for PV arrays will not be cut鈥�

Feed-in tariffs for solar installations will remain constant until early December, the Federal grid agency (Bundesnetzagentur)听has announced. New solar capacity installed over the last year amounted to 1,437 MW, which is below the legal corridor of 2,400 to 2,600 MW, the agency鈥檚 vice president Peter Franke explained. 鈥淎s a consequence, feed-in tariffs will stagnate for the first time ever," he said. The feed-in tariff is revised on a monthly basis, depending on whether exceeds or falls short of the prescribed target.

See the press release in German .

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The Telegraph

鈥淔irst Utility launches in Germany 鈥� branded as Shell鈥�

First Utility and Royal Dutch Shell will sell gas and electricity in Germany under the Shell听brand, reports Emily Gosden in The Telegraph. 鈥淭he deal marks First Utility鈥檚 first foray abroad after establishing itself as Britain鈥檚 biggest 鈥榗hallenger鈥� supplier to the Big Six. It is also thought to be the first time Shell, the global oil and gas giant, has struck a major household energy supplier partnership to sell electricity and gas in its name in Europe,鈥� writes Gosden. First Utility said it had opted to use the Shell brand as the company was well-known and established in Germany.

See the article in English .

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Die Welt

鈥淏iogas on the scrapheap鈥�

In a feature for Die Welt, Jochen Clemens looks at the declining fortunes of the German biogas industry. In the early 2000s, farmers did well out of the sector, which was subsidised to play key role in Germany鈥檚 energy supply. For many, it became their primary source of revenue. But plant operators say changes to the Renewable Energy Act mean they may go out of business, putting 30,000 jobs at risk. One operator has filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe.
Biomass is the most expensive source of renewable power, Clemens writes. But operators are compensated only from the power they produce, and not for the role they can play in compensating for fluctuations in supply from wind and solar.

See the story in German .

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Tageszeitung

鈥淣ot an export success鈥�

Each EU country must chart its own path to a low-carbon energy supply, State Secretary for Energy Rainer Baake said at a conference by听Brussels-based think tank Bruegel in Berlin, reports the taz.听 Researcher Georg Zachmann argued at the event that the costs of the Energiewende may be too high. But Baake said that while Germany had paid a high price for giving up nuclear and integrating renewables into its energy supply, the need for subsidies is coming to an end.

See the article in German .

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Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi)

鈥淐abinet decision for additional budget strengthens energy and climate fund鈥�

The cabinet's approval of the supplementary budget means an additional 1.3 billion euros will flow into the government鈥檚 鈥渆nergy and climate fund鈥�, according to a ministry press release. 鈥淭he money will finance new efficiency measures that will contribute to Germany achieving its climate targets for 2020.鈥� 听

See the press release in German .