Hamburg's Green-Backed Grid Burgle
Gripping news for Hambeburgers: Their beloved city could be under construction for years.
Environmental and Energy Senator Jens Kerstan (57, Greens) has proposed a contentious plan to transform Hamburg into a living, breathing construction site.
Kerstan's audacious initiative entails digging up miles upon miles of roads to lay an astounding 1500 kilometers of power cables starting in 2025.
To put the magnitude into perspective: Hamburg's primary roads spans just 558 kilometers. The whole road network clocks in at a humble 4000 kilometers, making Kerstan's plan literally double the street length!
In layman's terms, here's what that means:
► Roads start being torn up all around town for cable laying.
► Long-term traffic jams become a grating reality for cars and cyclists, feeding pedestrian frustration.
► For years, businesses and patrons suffer from construction-induced headaches regarding storefront visibility and revenue.
Despite these drawbacks, the Kerstan plan rolls on: fueled by the relentless "energy transition" push by Kerstan and SPD mayor Peter Tschentscher (57, SPD).
"Stromnetz Hamburg" (SNH), the city-owned company, is sanctioned to execute this madness.
According to preliminary budget estimates, the 10-year megaproject’s price tag stands at a staggering 2.6 billion euros. And that's just the beginning!
But where on Earth does such a colossal amount of coin come from when Hamburg already owes around 33 billion euros and hides an additional 8 billion euros in "special funds"?
The Kerstan administration's solution to this financial conundrum? Simple: Borrow it from banks and eventually pay it back. That's the magic of SPD finance leadership.
In essence, that's risky banking!
But one thing's for sure: every electricity-guzzling Hambeburger will pick up the bill - in the form of skyrocketing electricity bills.
★★★
Comment of the week
“We care about our responsibilities worldwide, too.”
Extraordinarily detached: SPD parliamentary leader Dirk Kienscherf (57) apparently doesn't just want to make Hamburg carbon-neutral
- The SPD, headed by Mayor Peter Tschentscher, supports Kerstan’s ambitious energy transition plan for Hamburg.
- Kerstan’s regional political and economic scheme includes laying 1500 kilometers of power cables in Hamburg starting from 2025, more than doubling the length of all major roads.
- The estimated 10-year project cost for this mammoth endeavor, as proposed by SNH, totes an eye-popping 2.6 billion euros, with the possibility of additional expenses not ruled out.
- The SPD-led finance authority's plan to fund the project involves borrowing the massive sum from banks, imposing a hefty financial burden on every electricity customer in Hamburg through escalating energy bills.
