Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The North Rhine-Westphalian state government wants to secure the liquidity of the municipal utilities in the energy crisis with a protective shield of five billion euros. The black-green government factions presented a corresponding amendment for the supplementary budget for 2022 on Thursday. This provides for a budgetary authorization for a release from liability for the state-owned NRW bank. This means that the NRW-Bank can grant liquidity support of up to five billion euros to the municipalities involved in public utilities, said the CDU MP Olaf Lehne in the state parliament.
The uncertain energy supply situation in Europe that arose as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, existing supply bottlenecks and an ongoing interruption in supply had led to a sharp increase in procurement prices on the energy markets, the statement said. This development does not only affect gas importers, but also municipal energy suppliers, which cover around two thirds of the gas and electricity requirements and thus play an important role in the energy supply of the population.
In order to counteract possible liquidity bottlenecks, the liquidity for the majority of municipally controlled energy suppliers must be secured in the short term. Currently, existing long-term supply contracts would have to be fulfilled, for example by purchasing significantly more expensive gas.
