Lindner Calculated Costs of Habeck's Plan at 48 Billion Euros Annually

The German government plans to spend billions on renewable energy with expansion targets and new incentives.

Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner estimates that the plans will cost 48 billion euros per year.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) has criticized plans by Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) to massively expand renewable energies. The accelerated expansion of wind and solar energy, as well as the planned new incentives for heat pumps, will cost up to 48 billion euros per year, warned Lindner. "This is a huge sum of money that must not lead to new financial burdens for citizens and businesses," Lindner told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

Lindner made it clear that he was not fundamentally opposed to the expansion of renewable energies. "However, we have to be careful not to overload our economy and society," he said. The finance minister emphasized that he wanted to "turn the tide" in terms of energy policy. "We need to make sure that our energy supply is secure, affordable and climate-friendly," Lindner said.

Habeck wants to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies in order to become independent of Russian gas and oil imports as quickly as possible. By 2030, 80 percent of electricity consumption is to be covered by wind and solar power. The government also wants to provide new incentives for heat pumps and thus reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in heating.