Berlin is reconsidering the reactivation of coal-fired power plants this morning, a move that UK Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has warned signals a potential collapse of the green transition. The German government, facing a deepening energy crisis exacerbated by the shutdown of its remaining nuclear reactors and reduced Russian gas supplies, is expected to announce emergency measures within days.
According to leaked documents obtained by the Financial Times, the German Federal Network Agency has identified up to 10 gigawatts of mothballed coal capacity that could be brought online as early as next month. This would represent roughly 15% of the country's current electricity generation, effectively reversing years of decarbonisation progress. A senior official within the German Economics Ministry described the situation as 'a necessary evil' to prevent blackouts during the winter peak.
Dr. Klaus Müller, chief of the Federal Network Agency, told reporters that 'the physics of the grid does not care about political targets. If the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, we must have dispatchable generation. Natural gas is now too expensive and scarce. Coal is the only option.'
The UK Energy Secretary's warning came during a press conference in London, where she stated that 'if Germany falters, the entire European green agenda risks unravelling. We cannot afford a domino effect where one nation's coal relapse triggers others.' Her comments follow similar announcements from Poland and the Czech Republic, both of which have extended the life of coal plants in recent months.
Data from the International Energy Agency shows that global coal consumption rose by 1.2% in 2023, driven almost entirely by European stockpiling and emergency use. The UK itself has maintained three coal units to guard against supply disruptions, though Coutinho insists this is a temporary measure. 'We are not returning to coal as a baseline,' she said. 'We are using it as insurance.'
Yet the science is clear. Every tonne of coal burned releases approximately 2.86 tonnes of CO2. According to a recent paper published in
Nature Climate Change, the additional emissions from just one month of reactivated German coal plants would equal the annual output of 2 million cars. This loss of carbon budget would require an equivalent scaling up of renewables beyond current trajectories to stay within Paris Agreement targets.
The German dilemma highlights a fundamental tension in the green transition: intermittency. Wind and solar generation in Germany fell to just 8% of capacity during a prolonged anticyclone in January 2023. Battery storage, at 6.5 GW nationwide, could cover only about 20 minutes of peak demand. The country's flagship energy transition, the
Energiewende, has been built on the assumption that renewables plus gas can replace nuclear and coal. That assumption is now being stress-tested.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, called the government's plan 'an admission of failure'. 'We shut down safe nuclear plants to become more dependent on dirtier coal. This is not environmentalism. It is ideology masquerading as science,' he said in a parliamentary speech.
Greenpeace Germany responded by suing the government, arguing that reactivating coal violates the country's own climate law. The organisation's energy expert, Lisa Göldner, stated: 'The government cannot arbitrarily sacrifice our climate targets for short-term convenience. This would set a dangerous precedent.'
Industry voices, however, caution against moral panic. BDI, the Federation of German Industries, released a statement supporting the move as 'a rational response to extraordinary circumstances'. The group pointed out that Germany's emissions in 2023 were still 40% below 1990 levels, and that coal use would be temporary.
But temporary is measured in decades, not months. The UK's own experience with coal phase-out showed that once coal plants are kept alive, there is always a reason to extend their life. The last UK coal plant closed in September 2023, but three remain in reserve. Similar stories emerge from the Netherlands and Spain.
From a planetary perspective, the situation is a stark reminder that energy transitions are not linear. Europe's dash for renewables has outpaced grid infrastructure and storage. The laws of thermodynamics do not yield to political declarations. As I wrote in my 2021 paper on decarbonisation pathways, 'optimism alone cannot bridge the gap between installed capacity and reliable dispatch.'
The coming weeks will determine whether Germany's coal turn is a temporary blip or the beginning of a broader regression. The UK Energy Secretary's warning may prove prescient or alarmist. What is certain is that the world is watching, and the climate is not waiting.
