Former state secretary Patrick Graichen discusses the dispute over the Building Energy Act and climate protection debate in an interview. He defends the previous government's policy and criticizes the CDU and FDP. Graichen remains optimistic about the energy transition's future.
Patrick Graichen served as state secretary in Robert Habeck's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs until spring 2023. He gained prominence with the draft Building Energy Act, requiring new heating systems to run on at least 65 percent renewable energy. Known as 'Mr. Heat Pump,' he had previously directed the think tank Agora Energiewende. In spring 2023, he stepped down amid the best man affair: he proposed his best man Michael Schäfer for the head of the German Energy Agency without disclosure. Since 2024, the 54-year-old is on the supervisory board of Ukrenergo, Ukraine's interstate electricity grid operator. In an interview at a café in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, Graichen responds to the CDU's agreement on a new building modernization law: 'Whoever is still so obsessed with the deputy chancellor of the previous government twelve months after the election needs therapy.' He highlights the agenda for independence from fossil fuels and tiered subsidies up to 80 percent. Graichen blames FDP circles and the gas lobby for undermining the bill and cites poor preparation for campaigns as the key error. He points to achievements like the solar boom, faster approvals for renewables, and heat pumps as the top-selling heater in 2025. Despite policy rollbacks, he views trends toward heat pumps and electric vehicles as unstoppable, akin to Scandinavia.
