DRESDEN (dpa-AFX) - Saxony's Energy and Climate Protection Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) assumes an earlier exit from lignite. "For economic reasons, lignite-based power generation in central Germany and Lusatia will end well before 2038. The companies are reaching the point where it simply no longer pays," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur on Monday. That was clearly foreseeable even before the current energy price crisis began, he said. "It will continue to be true after the crisis is over." Günther's position thus differs from that of Saxony's head of government Michael Kretschmer (CDU), who repeatedly warned against a premature end to coal production and called for reliability.

"If Saxony is to remain an economically successful industrial and energy state, we must actively accompany this market-driven coal phase-out. If we don't, Saxony will be threatened with deindustrialization. The question is whether we will remain an energy and industrial state or not," Günther made clear. When it comes to phasing out coal before 2038, it is no longer a question of whether, but only of how. "Coal is flying out of the markets. But the coal phase-out can be shaped politically so that it is socially just and offers economic prospects."

Günther sees two major tasks for Saxony: "We have to accelerate the expansion of renewables, with all our might. And we need to adapt the instruments for structural change to the market-driven coal phase-out." He said he wants Saxony to remain an energy and industrial state and for the economy to be able to reliably rely on safe, inexpensive electricity from renewables. "And I want Saxony to reap the huge economic opportunities of the energy transition - from skilled trades to Saxony's solar and semiconductor industries." Without accelerated expansion of renewables, Saxony risks losing industry, he said.

"The following remains unchanged: we must also get out of coal as quickly as possible for reasons of climate protection policy. We have a national climate protection law to fulfill," Günther concluded. On Sunday, German Economics Minister Robert Habeck had spoken out in favor of an earlier coal phase-out in the east as well. An exit brought forward to 2030 would have to be agreed by consensus, the Green politician said./jos/DP/mis