Subsidising renewables

Germany gives priority to gree (Credit: Anil agarwal /CSE)giving impetus to non-conventional energy, the parliamentary budget committee of Germany decided to raise subsidies for solar, thermal, biogas and geothermal energy to 400 million marks from 300 million in 2001. Earlier, the Economics minister, Werner Mueller, wanted to cut this budget by 100 million marks. He also wanted to cut the government's research budget for renewable energy by 65 million marks to 235 million marks. However, the committee decided to cut the budget by only 26 million marks.The figure may go up to 280 million marks because another 6 million marks could still be available from the science ministry.

A Green Party source said, "It's positive that Mueller's plans were partially averted," adding, "there was a consensus on marketing renewables".