The Houston-Leipzig Sister City Association presents a talk on The Energy Situation in Germany and the EU under the Impact of the War in the Ukraine with Special Emphasis on the Situation in Central Germany on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. CDT via Zoom. Please register here in advance for the meeting, and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The timing of our discussion on German energy this Saturday could not be more timely:
Germany had six active nuclear power plants in 2021, three of which were switched off at year-end, and the remaining three are to be shut-down at the end of 2022.
It now is scrambling to find energy replacement, and German politicians are at odds on how to remedy the situation.:
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) focuses on programs to relieve citizens and industry from increasing energy costs
- Robert Habeck – Deputy Chancellor and Economic Affairs Minister (The Green Party), generally a strong promoter for renewable energy, but due to the war in the Ukraine, suggested re-activation of coal-fired power plants to save gas and suggested stand-by operation of two of the three still operational nuclear power plants
- Christian Lindner – Federal Minister of Finance (FDP), suggested to operate all 3 nuclear power plants until 2024
- Friedrich Merz – Leader of the CDU, suggests to use all available processes, including nuclear power to increase supply in order to reduce prices
Meet Our Speakers:
Thomas Lehmann, Head of Renewable Energies at MIBRAG mbH and Managing Director of MIBRAG NEUE ENERGIE GmbH will talk about the energy situation in the EU and Germany before the war in the Ukraine and the present situation, with a special focus on renewables. He will also focus on the lignite industry in Germany as a whole and MIBRAG in particular.
Mr. Lehmann is a mathematician with an MBA from the Leipzig Graduate School of Management and looks back on a long career in the field of renewable energies (among others at Solibro and Q-Cells).
MIBRAG is engaged in the mining of lignite for power production, and still operates two active mining sites in central Germany.
Dr. Stefan Roehrbein will moderate the event. He has been working in the mining industry for 27 years and is head of audit/risk management and crisis management officer at MIBRAG mbH.
After the fall of the Berlin wall, Dr. Roehrbein traveled to Washington, where he became interested in the Sister City International organization, and requested a sister city for his home town of Leipzig. The connection with Houston was quickly made. He now serves as the 1st Vice President of the Leipzig-Houston Staedtepartnerschaft e.V.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
October 13, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Fall Fest and Fundraiser
November 10, 2022, 6:30 p.m. Annual Meeting
December 8, 2022, 6:30 p.m. Holiday Party and Caroling