Erfurt (dpa/th) – Thuringia’s Economics Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD) has called on the federal government to reform the electricity market quickly in view of skyrocketing energy prices. The direct coupling of electricity to the rapidly rising gas prices must finally be lifted so that electricity customers can better benefit from cheaper renewable energies, Tiefensee said on Sunday in Erfurt.
The minister announced that there was no need for further appeals to save energy. The companies have long been on the way to reducing energy consumption and costs. “It’s simply about ensuring the survival of the company through quick action and averting unforeseeable consequences for the economy as a whole.”
Electricity prices are currently at an all-time high. “There are some factual reasons for this – but also massive errors in the system,” said Tiefensee with a view to the rules of the electricity exchange. A mechanism is needed that decouples the electricity and gas markets, limits speculative price peaks and reflects real prices. In the end, all customers benefited from this – private consumers as well as energy-intensive companies or small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, the federal government must pay even more attention to the interests of medium-sized companies in the debated relief and compensation measures for energy customers.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to curb prices for consumers and industry with a fundamental reform of the electricity market. The aim is to decouple the development of end customer prices for electricity from the rising gas price.
