Overview
- Brandenburg’s minister-president called for stronger relief on electricity costs for energy‑intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
- He welcomed the European Commission’s move to permit expanded state aid that offsets part of firms’ emissions‑trading costs as a step in the right direction.
- Federal economy minister Katherina Reiche said a state‑subsidized lower industrial power price is likely to begin on 1 January 2026, with grid charges set to fall.
- Woidke deemed these measures insufficient and pressed for competitive power prices without permanent subsidies and for electricity to be used regionally where it is generated.
- He argued that northern states should benefit from renewable build‑out through lower local prices, noted remaining legal hurdles, and defended the federal coalition as performing better than its reputation.