INTRODUCTION
Germany will phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2038 the latest. Over the next two decades, the German government and federal states will provide €17 billion to Lusatia for structural support. As part of the WindNODE project, consortium partners in Lusatia are developing blueprints for the second phase of the energy transition.
In 2019, 20 mayors from Lusatia signed the ‘Declaration of Mayors on Just Transition’ to show their support for a just transition, demand appropriate support mechanisms, and stress the importance of social dialogue and consultation with local governments.
Overview
| Lusatia | Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Size (sq. km) | 11,727 | 357,386 |
| Population | 1.2 million | 83 million |
| Population per sq. km | 99 | 230 |
| GDP per capita | €28,434 | €37,128 |
| Disposable income per capita | €18,722 | €21,583 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 5.2% |
Lusatia was selected as one of nine ‘hydrogen regions’ in Germany, winning funds to develop innovative ideas for regional hydrogen production, storage, and use.
Electricity generation mix
Coal %
Renewables %
Natural Gas %
Nuclear %
Other %
Since German reunification, Lusatia has implemented various strategies to support regional economic development and facilitate necessary structural change. The region has cultivated a strong tourism industry by promoting local attractions, including the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve and, more recently, the Lusatian Lake District, a chain of artificial lakes extending across 140 km² of former open-cast mines. Faced with multiple challenges related to structural change, Lusatia is building on its long tradition as an energy region and on the related know-how of regional research institutions and business actors. Today, the region is home to solar and wind parks and a factory for wind turbine blades.
Coal industry
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