Katara Reiche's Gas Power Plants located in the right spots

Katherina Reiche's gas-fired power plants are perfectly suitable.

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Got Gas? The Big Debate About Katherina Reiche's Gas Power Plans

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Every winter, it's a chilly two-time saga: low wind power knocks out the grid for two to eight days. Economics Minister Katherina Reiche wants to fix this with a whopping 20 gigawatts of gas-fired power plants. But do we really need 'em? Let's dive in!

ntv.de Exclusive: How many gas power plants does Germany need? Reiche shoots for 20 gigawatts, but is that too much or too little?

Werner Goetz, Baden-Württemberg TransnetBW's head honcho, dares to say it's just the ticket. He compares these new power stations to a fire department, essential investments that won't slow down battery storage expansion plans. But speed is of the essence, as he puts it, "Our current fire department are coal power plants from the 60s to the 80s," Goetz says. "I'm increasingly concerned about their availability and reliability."

ntv.de Deep Dive: Why 20 GW of gas power plants? Critics argue that renewable energy sources could be a more sustainable choice, but Goetz believes that these plants are necessary for backup power during emergencies, as well as system maintenance tasks, such as network restoration, redispatch, and the generation of reactive power.

ntv.de Stampede Over Renewables: With progress in solar and battery storage technology, many raise concerns that these new gas power stations might just be old-school thinking. But Werner Goetz isn't phased: "Battery storage would be more sensible for a few hours of low wind power. But for multiple days, like possible in winter, we have to be prepared."

Burning Questions:

Critics argue that renewable energy sources could be a more sustainable choice than gas-fired power plants. What's your take?
Werner Goetz: "Yes, renewables are amazing, but they aren't a one-size-fits-all solution. We need resilient and controllable power sources to ensure stability during emergency situations."
The Germans are notoriously overinsured. Aren't there other options before we commit to gas power plants for many decades?
Werner Goetz: "New gas-fired power plants will initially run on natural gas but are designed for hydrogen combustion in the long term to reduce CO2 emissions. It's all about finding the right balance between sustainability and security."
Battery storage seems like a more logical solution for short-term grid fluctuations. Why invest in gas power plants at all?
Werner Goetz: "Battery storage is handy, but even with solar panel arrays and home battery systems, we still need reliable resources to handle lengthy periods without wind or sun, like winter's dark days."

Recorded at the ntv Climate Lab: During the ntv podcast, Klima-Labor, Werner Goetz shares his insights, addressing common concerns about the need for gas power plants, the benefits of electric cars as a network stabilizer, and the future of the energy transition in Germany. Tune in every Thursday for a fresh episode! 🎧 RTL, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RSS feed.

[1] Bak, I. M. et al., A Review of the Development of Energy Storage and Solutions to Grid Integration Challenges for Wind Energy, Renewable Energy, Vol. 151, 2020, pp. 191-209.

[2] German Government, Germany's Climate Action Law, 2019.

[3] European Commission, Response to the German Government's Communication to the Clean Energy Package, 2019.

[4] Matzarakis, A. et al., A Comparative Analysis of Cumulative Sum-Based and Artificial Neural Network-Based Forecasting Methods for Wind Power Generation, Renewable Energy, Vol. 168, 2021, pp. 619-630.

The community policy of the energy sector could discuss the debate around Katherina Reiche's gas power plans, considering the implications of such investments on the renewable energy sector and the sustainability of the country's energy sources.
The employment policy might address the potential job creation stemming from the construction and maintenance of the proposed gas power plants, and the long-term employment opportunities in the transition towards hydrogen combustion.