Influenced crucial test? - "Study serves political purposes": Explosive email incriminates Habeck in nuclear power plant affair

Influenced crucial test? - "Study serves political purposes": Explosive email incriminates Habeck in nuclear power plant affair FOCUS-online editor Sebastian Scheffel (Berlin) • 2 hours • 4 minutes reading time The investigative committee on the final nuclear phase-out is also looking at the role of Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens). In the investigative committee on the final nuclear phase-out, Economics Minister Habeck is under pressure. An email shows how he apparently wanted to influence the result of a crucial review. But the MPs are running out of time to complete the investigation. When the nuclear power plant files became public in the spring, the CDU and CSU called for Robert Habeck to resign. The accusation: The Economics Minister did not examine openly whether the three nuclear power plants that were still running at the time would have been possible to continue operating due to the energy crisis. Because Habeck and the Greens vehemently denied this, the Union promptly set up an investigative committee. Since July, the members have been questioning witnesses and examining files. The documents that ministries and authorities have to hand over to a committee of inquiry are now bringing more and more explosive details to light. As “Cicero” reports, an email is said to prove how Habeck interfered in an important review. Habeck's instructions: “The study serves political purposes” The message was written in July 2022 and was written by Achim Zerres. He is head of Network Agency Department 6 in the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This means that he reports directly to Klaus Müller, the President of the Federal Network Agency. The authority is supposed to be independent and neutral - whether it actually is has been discussed for some time. In addition to legal aspects, the main criticism is that Habeck put Müller, a former Green state minister, at the head of the authority. The email from department head Zerres to a colleague is about a “stress test” for the power grid, i.e. whether capacities would be sufficient in winter 2022/23. However, this review did not take place entirely without interference: “Please do not try to change Habeck's instructions. The study serves political purposes, the specifications reflect that," says the email, which "Cicero" published in full. A fine line between permissible leadership and impermissible influence In concrete terms, "usable input parameters" should be found. Translated, this means: whoever determines what exactly should be examined influences what the end result will be. Zerres - possibly on behalf of Habeck - formulates the goal straight away: "As a result, at best, extended operation for Isar would be acceptable." He is referring to the Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Lower Bavaria, which was operated by the Eon subsidiary Preussenelektra. It happens again and again that ministries commission studies or examinations with clear objectives. As is so often the case in the nuclear power plant investigation committee, there is a very fine line between permissible political leadership by Habeck and impermissible influence on a decision that may be existential for Germany. At least the four transmission system operators (TSOs) did not allow themselves to be put under pressure by the requirements from the Ministry of Economic Affairs - although Zerres wrote in the email that Habeck should be intervened in "if the TSOs should complain". The head of the network operator Tennet, Tim Meyerjürgens, said in the investigative committee that despite intensive discussions with Habeck's State Secretary Patrick Graichen, they had finally agreed on common basic assumptions for the "stress test". Ultimately, all four TSOs spoke out in favor of continuing to operate the three nuclear power plants in winter. Nuclear power plant operator incriminates Habeck - but makes contradictory statement One of the power plant operators also incriminated Habeck in the investigative committee. Guido Knott, head of Preussenelektra and responsible for the Isar 2 nuclear power plant, told the MPs: "In my view, the balancing decision is politically motivated and it was to be expected." Continued operation had never failed due to the unwillingness of the power plant operators. Knott claims to have offered an extension of the operating period immediately after the Russian attack on Ukraine and the associated start of the energy crisis. However, no one in the Ministry of Economic Affairs responded. This surprised some members of the committee of inquiry. But not because Knott refutes a key statement by Habeck - but because Knott appears to be involved in a contradiction. There were indeed discussions with Leonhard Birnbaum, head of Eon and thus the parent company of Preussenelektra. RWE boss Markus Krebber also reported the opposite to the committee.