By Michael Sauerbier
No whistles, no boos, no protests: for the first time, a Green Party leader received a friendly welcome from the Lausitz coal company LEAG. Because the eco-party has filled the company coffers to the brim.
For decades, the Greens were THE enemy of coal miners – and vice versa. But party leader Ricarda Lang (29) was warmly welcomed at LEAG on Monday. First by apprentices at the Black Pump coal-fired power plant, then at the Cottbus headquarters of boss Thorsten Kramer (60).
“I’m extremely happy that you’re here,” beamed Kramer. The LEAG boss makes billions in profits – thanks to the Greens. In winter, he was allowed to restart two shut-down coal-fired power plant units. And collect the highest electricity prices of all time.
Then the Greens forced the nuclear phase-out at the end of March. Consequence: Electricity prices remained the highest in Europe, LEAG supplied electricity from coal like never before. With an exceptional permit from the Green State Minister for the Environment for the enormous greenhouse gas emissions.
No protests: Green leader Ricarda Lang with LEAG trainees Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa
“We have excellent support from the Federal Ministry of Economics,” praised the LEAG boss Robert Habecks authority in the BZ interview, “the approach has changed. At the moment we can’t complain.”
The Greens are happy too. Because the coal company is building wind and solar parks on old overburden dumps in a hurry, plus battery storage. “We want to become the Green Valley,” promises Kramer. “Every year we invest a billion euros profit in renewable energies.“
The lignite-fired power plant in Jänschwalde near Cottbus is running at full speed Photo: ppl pzi
By 2030, LEAG wants to generate as much green electricity as it has done with coal. But Boss Kramer does not want to get out of coal until 2038, says: “We only have security of supply with three times as much green electricity as coal. We build something new first – and then dismantle something old.”