Dresden (dpa/sn) – Saxony’s Energy and Climate Protection Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) sees the current crisis in the wake of the Ukraine war as an opportunity to switch to renewable energies. “In this turning point, the energy transition is more necessary than ever,” he said on Wednesday in a government statement in the state parliament. It is an antidote to the climate crisis, a guarantee of energy sovereignty and a driver for innovation. Climate protection and economic development with predictably affordable energy prices are only possible with renewable energies.
According to the minister, very important energy policy projects have been launched since the beginning of 2020. Nevertheless, progress must be made with the expansion of renewable energies, he said. In Saxony there are extensive resources, for example in research. Günther mentioned, for example, the “renaissance of the solar industry”, which must be actively and strategically supported.
“What we have achieved so far in Saxony points in the right direction, but is still far from enough,” said Günther. It is the order of the day to invest in the infrastructure of the future. It is important to think beyond the acute crisis and to prevent further crises, and not to play off the energy crisis against the climate and other environmental crises. “Rather, everything must be tackled together and long-term, sustainable solutions found now,” appealed Günther. The energy transition offers a multiple dividend: “It pays for climate protection and energy sovereignty, it ensures the attractiveness of the location, it makes energy affordable.”
