Germany’s New Energy Minister Calls for 20 GW Gas Capacity and “Reality Check” On Renewables, Supports Non-Green Hydrogen

• Incoming Energy Minister Katherina Reiche warns that Germany cannot rely solely on renewables and calls for a realistic energy transition roadmap.
• She urged a swift tender for 20 gigawatts of gas‑fired capacity, alignment of grid and renewable expansion, and reinforced domestic gas supplies and CCS support.

Renewable energy alone will not supply an industrial nation like Germany reliably and affordably, incoming Energy Minister Katherina Reiche declared in her inaugural remarks, questioning the 100 percent renewables ambition. At the Ludwig Erhard Summit in Tegernsee, she pressed for a rapid tender for at least 20 gigawatts of gas‑fired power plants, arguing that “we need flexible gas‑fired power plants that can supply electricity when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. And we need that quickly.”

According to Reiche, Germany’s rapid renewables rollout has driven the climate‑neutrality agenda but has also generated significant system costs—particularly grid expansion—that now demand transparency. “We need some kind of monitoring and honesty about the status of the energy transition,” she said, calling for a reality check on progress.

Building on her Berlin inauguration speech, Reiche insisted that “in order to achieve more market and innovation in the energy sector, we must redefine the fundamentals. Renewable energies alone will not be able to supply an industrial nation like Germany with electricity reliably and at affordable prices. And as the largest electricity consumer in the EU, we cannot rely solely on our neighbors. We need controllable electricity generation at our own country.”

Beyond new gas turbines, Reiche wants to boost domestic gas production and lock in long‑term import contracts, while scaling up carbon capture and storage (CCS) and utilization (CCU) measures. She also vowed to better synchronize renewables and grid expansions in both space and time, promising a “thorough assessment” and high‑priority action.

Reiche has scheduled her first government statement for May 15, with a 60‑minute Bundestag session to present her program and face debate.

 

Germany's New Energy Minister Calls for 20 GW Gas Capacity

Germany's New Energy Minister Calls for 20 GW Gas Capacity - Fuelcellsworks