The war in Iran is the latest evidence that fossil fuel dependence is a threat to energy supplies. Germany must become independent. A comment by Nils Thomas Hinsberger.
Frankfurt am Main – We should have learned from the Ukraine war. Back then, a price shock for oil and gas had already caused problems for people at gas stations and when paying heating bills. And now that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has closed the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the attack by the USA and Israel, the danger of fossil dependence is once again apparent. A large proportion of the world’s crude oil (around 20 percent) and around a fifth of the world’s LNG are shipped via the strait.
Already, shortly after the brutal escalation in the Middle East, oil prices have climbed to a long-term high. Loud dpa The price for a barrel of Brent oil climbed to $82.37 on Monday night. This is the highest value since July 2024. And because, according to the ADAC, the Brent price is the decisive factor for the price at the gas station, an increase in prices is to be expected there in the near future.
Fossil dependency – when will the rethinking of German politics come?
The fact is: As long as Germany relies on fossil fuels such as oil and gas, we are dependent on the favor of authoritarian and anti-democratic states. The result can be seen again in the Iran War. And as long as politics refuses to find a pragmatic solution, no improvement can be expected.
Just last week, the federal government cemented fossil dependence with its key points in the new Building Modernization Act. With the abolition of the 65 percent rule, old gas heaters will no longer have to be replaced with an electronic heating system. Old appliances can be repaired or replaced with a new oil or gas heater.
What the federal government glosses over as “freedom in the boiler room” means, in times of geopolitical turmoil, above all a lack of freedom due to dependence on other countries. And ultimately higher costs for consumers. Germany must finally design its energy production independently, which means promoting renewables – through an ambitious expansion of the electricity grid and battery storage.
Rich in renewables, gas power plants also make us dependent
But instead, Economics Minister Katherina Reiche is further restricting the expansion of solar and wind power plants. Compensation payments should be made for systems if the electricity produced cannot be fed in due to overloaded networks. The government made up of the CDU, CSU and SPD also wants to end subsidies for private solar systems. And last but not least, Chancellor Friedrich Merz also wants to build new gas power plants. A fatal mistake.
Germany should become aware of its strength and do everything in its power to achieve energy independence through technological progress in renewables. Looking at the figures from the Frauenhofer Institute, the path to this seems to have been paved. As a result, 55.9 percent of all electricity in 2025 came from renewable energies. The federal government must not reverse this trend with its policies. (Sources: dpa, ADAC, Frauenhofer Institute)
