Osnabrück – November 12, 2026 -- Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer of the Green Party has called Federal Economics Minister Katharina Reiche's absence from the Energy Ministers' Conference in Göttingen an affront to the federal states.
Meyer links federal uncertainty to slower energy transition
Meyer told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that the states want the energy transition to succeed jointly. In his view, current uncertainty is eroding trust and slowing the expansion of the energy transition.
Five agenda items left without federal input
Meyer had wanted Reiche, a member of the CDU, or her state secretary to attend. He listed five topics for discussion:
- expansion of renewable energy
- grid expansion
- offshore wind power
- reliability for energy companies
- lower energy prices
He said Reiche is setting different priorities, but added that the states' hand remains extended.
Reiche also skipped the previous conference on Norderney
The responsible ministers from all federal states meet in Göttingen on Thursday and Friday. Reiche also did not attend the previous Energy Ministers' Conference on Norderney earlier this year.