BERLIN, April 5 (UPI) -- Germany's opposition politicians have criticized the energy summit initiated by Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"That was no energy summit. That was more like a molehill," Free Democrat lawmaker Rainer Bruederle Tuesday told German broadcaster N-TV. He added no decisions were made, nuclear energy was ignored and the cause of Germany's high energy prices was not tackled.
"We need more competition," he said.
His remarks come a day after Merkel called an energy summit in the chancellor's office, assembling leaders from industry, politics, trade and consumer unions.
Merkel said after the summit that Germany needs to reduce its energy dependence and added industry would invest more than $36 billion in new plants and infrastructure.
"We all agreed that the goal must be to gradually reduce our dependence on energy imports and to prevent a rise in energy prices," she said.
Merkel added industry will invest $40 billion to $48 billion into pushing renewables such as wind, solar and biogas energy.
"Those non-binding declarations about investments will only come into effect if it is worth the money," Bruederle countered.
The summit launched a discussion about a road map on Germany's energy future, which will be laid out in the coming months.
