(new: VKU in the fifth paragraph)
BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – In the middle of the struggle over the heating law, the next conflict on the subject is emerging. According to the will of the federal government, the federal states should submit plans in the coming years on how the heat transition should be implemented locally. For large cities, these heating plans should be ready by the end of 2026, smaller cities should have two years longer, according to a draft law (as of May 3rd) of the federal government, which is available to the German Press Agency. The media company Table Media and the “Bild” had previously reported on the draft bill.
The federal states should be responsible for this, but they can transfer this task directly to the municipalities. They should provide information on how specific buildings or companies are heated and how much energy is consumed. Specifically, “building-specific annual final energy consumption of grid-bound energy sources over the last three years in kilowatt hours per year” should be recorded as far as possible, along with the address, use and year of construction. The government also wants to collect information on heating networks – including capacity utilization or route lengths.
Construction Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) had already announced the municipal heat plan. Habeck justified the project by saying that the heat transition can only be implemented locally, but there is a strong need for coordination.
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities warned that the acute lack of staff in the municipalities could endanger the project. Managing Director Gerd Landsberg warned that a third of the workforce would leave by 2035. “That will also be a stumbling block for municipal heating planning,” he told the “Bild”.
Praise came from the association of municipal companies. With the heat plans, municipalities have freedom for solutions that are most suitable and the most cost-effective for citizens. “They can see from the plans of their municipality whether only a heat pump with connection to the electricity grid is really an option or whether there will be the possibility of being connected to the district heating network or whether the gas network in front of the door will be converted to green gases, such as biomethane or hydrogen should.” A detailed register is not needed.
The opposition criticized the traffic light plan as unrealistic. “After the heating hammer comes the green heating pillory,” said CSU General Secretary Martin Huber of the German Press Agency. By collecting data on the heating habits of citizens, the Greens wanted to create a “bureaucratic monster”. However, the SPD-led Ministry of Construction is in charge of the law.
Meanwhile, the traffic light coalition’s other major conflict issue – the planned replacement of oil and gas heating systems – is not going to settle down. The Greens politician Irene Mihalic accused the FDP on Wednesday of behaving “like an opposition with ministerial posts”. The Free Democrats had prevented the law from being discussed in Parliament this week because of concerns. On Wednesday, a current hour on the subject should take place in the Bundestag.
There is disagreement as to whether the law can still be passed before the summer break. Several FDP politicians consider this impossible in view of many questions from their party.
According to the draft adopted by the Federal Cabinet, from 2024 onwards every newly installed heating system should be operated with 65 percent green energy. This should apply to all owners up to the age of 80. Existing oil and gas heating systems can continue to be operated and broken ones can be repaired./swe/DP/ngu