After months of acrimony, controversy and speculation, the task forced charged with proposing how Germany can stop burning coal finally came out with its recommendation this week. Given its place in the spotlight, the resulting furore was perhaps not surprising.
The Coal Commission recommended that coal-fired power generation be completely ended by 2038. This date could be brought forward to 2035 at the earliest.
The proposal was accompanied by a timeline for the phase-out. Coal-fired power plants with a capacity of over 12.5 gigawatts – which represent almost one-third of the country’s coal power – would be shut down by 2022. Smaller plants would be progressively shut down over the ensuing years, until the smallest are closed in the 2030s.
