Criticism from Brandenburg of Reiche's power plant plans

The power plant plans of Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) have been met with sharp criticism in Brandenburg. The Group Works Council of the energy company Leag accused Reiche of discriminating against the East. In a letter also addressed to Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the heads of government of Brandenburg and Saxony, Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and Michael Kretschmer (CDU), the works council fears that no gas-fired power plant will be built in Lusatia.

The Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs, which is led by Martina Klement (CSU), also has concerns. "The framework conditions of the current draft (...) with the included "southern bonus" harbor the risk that too little secured power plant capacity will be created in the north and east of Germany as part of the long-term capacities," the ministry told the German Press Agency.

This could have a negative impact on "the security of supply and system stability" in the entire electricity price zone.

Reiche pledges to build new gas-fired power plants in Lusatia

The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs had pledged to build new gas-fired power plants in Lusatia during a visit by the energy company Leag to the Schwarze Pumpe power plant in August 2025. Leag wants to build new gas-fired power plants that can later be converted to hydrogen power plants in order to give employees a perspective after the coal phase-out.

"Gas-fired power plants are needed in Lusatia, and they will be built," said Reiche at the time. She had previously sparked protests by stating that two thirds of the new gas-fired power plant capacity should be built in the south. There should be a "southern bonus" for this.

Draft: New power plants predominantly in the south

The draft bill for the Security of Electricity Supply Act now states that the tenders for long-term capacities contain a component for regional control to ensure that new power plants are predominantly built where they are needed for a stable, cost-efficient energy system ("grid south").

However, it also states: "For reasons of system stability, new power plants are needed not only in selected regions, but throughout Germany."

The Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs explained that further regulations are needed in the law to ensure that one third of long-term capacities are built in the "grid north".

The power plants should also be exempt from the remuneration that operators receive when feed-in is temporarily curtailed to avoid bottlenecks. "This can also ensure that the high level of supply security continues to be guaranteed and that the costs for consumers are kept as low as possible."

Leag works council: patience has run out

The Leag Group works council called on Reiche to allow the construction of new gas-fired power plants in the east. "Our patience has run out," the letter states.

The Left Party member of the Bundestag for Brandenburg, Christian Görke, warned that the energy transition in Lusatia towards more climate protection would fail. "It is crucial that new reserves from power plants or storage facilities are also created where energy regions are and jobs are lost - not just where there is the greatest political pressure on the other side of the "white sausage equator"," he said.