Katherina Reiche sharply criticizes Germany's energy transition
Former CDU politician Katherina Reiche has labeled Germany's Energiewende a failure and resistant to advice. In an interview with Spiegel Online, she voices sharp criticism of current policies. Her stance elicits mixed reactions within her party and from environmentalists.
Katherina Reiche, who served as state secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy from 2013 to 2015, has recently intensified her skepticism toward Germany's Energiewende. The energy transition, decided after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, aims to generate 80 to 95 percent of electricity from renewables by 2050. Reiche, regarded as the CDU's energy expert, describes the implementation as 'bluntly dismissive' toward alternative proposals.
In an interview with Spiegel Online, Reiche stated: 'The Energiewende is resistant to advice and ignores economic realities.' She accuses the government of underestimating costs for consumers and endangering supply security. Reiche advocates for a more flexible policy that includes conventional energy sources, without directly reversing the nuclear phase-out.
Background: Reiche resigned in 2015 amid plagiarism allegations in her doctoral thesis. Since then, she has worked as an economic consultant and regularly comments on energy policy. Critics from the Green Party and environmental groups like Greenpeace accuse her of undermining climate goals. Within the CDU, there is support for her pragmatic stance, particularly from business-oriented circles.
The debate over the Energiewende has sharpened amid rising electricity prices and grid expansion challenges straining the policy. Reiche's statements could influence discussions ahead of the upcoming federal election, where energy remains a central issue.