German Environment Minister: 'Our Lifestyle Has Revolved Around a Dangerous Egotism'

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SPIEGEL: The expansion of the power grid to offshore wind parks is running into stumbling blocks, and the Federal Network Agency is warning of energy bottlenecks. Are we headed for a power blackout?

Röttgen: We have large reserve capacities. This month, for instance, we exported more electricity than we imported. But the network issue is of course decisive. We can't have the power grid acting as a bottleneck and jeopardizing the entire project. Indeed, the Economics Ministry has been tasked with expanding the network.

SPIEGEL: Why are you shunting off responsibility for the most important aspect of the renewable energy transition to Economics Minister Philipp Rösler (Germany's vice chancellor and a politician with the junior government coalition partner, the business-friendly Free Democratic Party)?

Röttgen: I'm not shunting off responsibility. I'm just pointing out how responsibilities are distributed. A network development plan is expected to be presented in early 2012.

SPIEGEL: The head of the semi-public German Energy Agency, Stephan Kohler, has already called for the creation of a single German energy minister to put an end to the confusion surrounding areas of responsibility in the transition to renewable energy. Is his criticism justified?

Röttgen: The tasks are clearly distributed. I see no confusion.

SPIEGEL: The government is dumping all of the costs for the energy transition on consumers and sparing German industry. Is that the way to win support for the plan?

Röttgen: We want to be successful as an industrialized country, so we have extended the exemptions to avoid infringing on the competitiveness of German companies abroad. Industry will continue, however, to bear a portion of the costs. What's more, the public wants the transition to renewable energy and is prepared to pay for it.

SPIEGEL: Not everyone sees it that way. The Federation of German Consumer Organizations has called it an "absolute scandal" that the costs of the energy transition have been shifted to consumers.

Röttgen: Energy is not getting any cheaper, and it would be disingenuous to promise that. But the German people benefit from the energy revolution, thanks to the added value of green technologies and new jobs. The energy revolution makes us independent of fossil fuels that are becoming increasingly expensive and, to make matters worse, damage the climate.

SPIEGEL: How do you intend to crisscross Germany with new power networks within a few years and, at the same time, involve citizens in the planning?

Röttgen: We can explain in detail why the new networks are necessary. What's more, we will involve citizens as early as possible in the planning and thus allow them to take responsibility for the project.

SPIEGEL: That's something that you failed to do with your fellow minister, Rösler. You couldn't even agree with him on binding regulations for energy efficiency.

Röttgen: There is in fact a disagreement. I still maintain that we need to set binding targets that determine which steps we take to increase energy efficiency. And it makes economic sense for Germany if the same objectives have been established throughout Europe because we are the market leader in this area. So I will continue to fight for a solution.

SPIEGEL: Do you sometimes have nightmares that you are burdening industry and the German people with billions in expenses, but it turns out climate research was wrong all along with all its doomsday scenarios?

Röttgen: High-ranking Chinese colleagues have removed any fears that I may have had about being entirely wrong. Even if there was no climate change whatsoever, they told me that they would still invest in renewable sources of energy, efficient technologies and electric cars. It makes economic sense for them to invest in a future that doesn't rely on burning oil, coal and natural gas -- also because it's important for them to remain competitive with high-tech countries like Germany. So you can rest assured that I sleep soundly at night.

SPIEGEL: Minister Röttgen, we thank you for this interview.

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• Part 1: 'Our Lifestyle Has Revolved Around a Dangerous Egotism'
• Part 2: Is Germany Headed for a Power Blackout?