Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne

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Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI)
Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI)
logo
Consist: Date of establishment: 1943
Facility location: Cologne
Areas of expertise: Energy industry
Management: Marc Oliver bedding , Wolfgang Ketter
Employee: 35
Annotation: Legal form: gGmbH
Homepage: www.ewi.uni-koeln.de
The old car factory in Cologne-Bickendorf , seat of the EWI

The Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI) is an affiliated institute of the University of Cologne . It conducts research and teaching in the field of economic energy and the energy markets and cooperates with the University of Cologne in terms of doctoral programs and energy-economic classes, workshops and summer schools. It is led by the two directors Marc Oliver Bettzüge and Wolfgang Ketter. The former is also the managing director, together with Annette Becker.

In the past, the EWI was regularly supported by German government agencies such as B. the parliaments and governments at the state and federal level commissioned with studies and reports. The investigation results of the EMI tendered under the Enquête -Prozesses several times as a basis for energy policy decisions and direction of the legislation.

organization

The EWI is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cologne University Foundation.

Previously, the Association for the Promotion of the Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne e. V. sole shareholder of EWI, to which mainly energy supply companies and organizations of the German energy industry as well as associations belong. Now only less than 10 percent of the budget is covered by project-related funds from this funding company.

In 2015, application research was outsourced to ewi Energy Research & Scenarios gGmbH (ewi ER&S). This gGmbH was transferred back to the Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI) in autumn 2018. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia has been supporting the EWI financially since 2019. The funding serves to secure the basic funding and can amount to up to 800,000 euros per year.

The EWI has its premises in the Alte Wagenfabrik , a former building of Heinrich Scheele's electromobile plant in Cologne-Bickendorf , Ehrenfeld district (see picture).

Institute management

Executive Directors:

Former managing directors:

history

Fritz Burgbacher , main initiator and later honorary professor of the EWI

The institute was founded in 1943 on the initiative of energy scientists and politicians (especially Fritz Burgbacher ), the University of Cologne and RWTH Aachen University, as well as representatives of the regional electricity and gas industry ( Rheinische Energie AG , Rheinisch-Westfälisches Elektrizitätswerk , Rheinisches Braunkohlesyndikat , Ruhrkohlesyndikat , Ruhrgas , Thyssen gas and water works , Niederrheinische light and power plants , ...) founded in Cologne.

Although the establishment of the institute and its history from 1935 onwards fell into the National Socialist era , the institute should not be seen as a tool of the Nazi regime . The establishment of the institute was tolerated rather than desired or actively supported by the Nazi government (Reichsgruppe Energiewirtschaft of the Reich Chamber of Commerce ; Department of Energy Economics of the Reich Ministry of Economics , ...). It was not the Nazi government's preferred candidate, Erwin Geldmacher , who was entrusted with managing the institute , but the economist Theodor Wessels . Wessels was - like Burgbacher himself - a practicing Catholic and represented liberal positions rather than supporting the state economic management practiced by the Nazi government. As later became known, Wessels was among other things a member of the government-critical working group Erwin von Beckerath .

In addition to the director Wessels, the main initiator Burgbacher also received a teaching position as an honorary professor. Still under construction, the institute had to suspend its operations as early as 1944 due to disruptions to research and teaching activities caused by the war. After the end of the Second World War , Professors Burgbacher and Wessels were exonerated and rehabilitated by the British military government as part of the “ denazification ” so that the institute could be resumed in 1947.

From 1951, Alfred Herrhausen , who later became a board member of Deutsche Bank, received his doctorate as Wessels' assistant at the EWI.

In the 1950s, the institute expanded its teaching and research operations and established its reputation as a specialist institute in science, business and politics in the following years and decades through numerous publications and speeches by the institute's staff as well as by hosting training courses and conferences.

From the 1950s onwards, the EWI received more and more research and consultancy contracts from political and government agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Economics of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia . Among other things, the EWI was involved in several Enquête Commissions of the German Bundestag on energy-related issues, including the first the "Energy Enquête" (1961), as others, among other things, "Future Energy Policy" (1982), "Provision for the Protection of the Earth's Atmosphere" (1987) and most recently “Sustainable Energy Supply” (2002).

In 2010, an expert opinion co-produced by the EWI was incorporated into the energy concept 2050 of the German government under Angela Merkel . The EWI was partially criticized for the controversial recommendations contained in the report (see section Criticism below ).

In June 2015, the structure of the EWI was completely redesigned with the spin-off of ewi Energy Research & Scenarios (ewi ER&S). While the EWI An-Institut at the University of Cologne focused in particular on basic research and teaching as well as on doctoral training, ewi ER&S carried out practical application research on issues relating to energy markets and infrastructures .

This structure was reversed in autumn 2018: ewi ER&S and An-Institut merged into a new gGmbH, which is now again called the Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI). This was a prerequisite for financial support from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has been supporting the EWI since 2019 with up to 800,000 euros per year. Since then, the institute's sponsoring association, of which around 40 companies and associations are members, has only supported the EWI on a project basis.

criticism

Critics doubt the independence of the institute, as the EWI was co-financed to a considerable extent by major energy companies through a funding company until 2013. The EWI's recommendations are therefore not neutral; in particular, the investigation into the extension of the service life of German nuclear power plants is said to have served the interests of the nuclear power plant operators RWE , E.ON and Vattenfall Europe , some of whom were also the main financiers of the institute. Since 2019, however, the EWI has no longer been funded by its development association (which companies are also members of), but by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The development association only finances individual projects.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Lennart Henny: The establishment of the Energy Economics Institute at the University of Cologne. (PDF; 1.3 MB) Diploma thesis in the subject of special economics. (No longer available online.) University of Cologne, 2008, formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 18, 2010 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / wigeschbib.uni-koeln.de  
  2. ↑ a b c Imprint. EWI, accessed June 28, 2016 .
  3. ↑ a b team. (No longer available online.) EWI, archived from the original on August 17, 2016 ; accessed on July 28, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ewi.uni-koeln.de
  4. ↑ Overview of the affiliated institutes at the University of Cologne. (No longer available online.) University of Cologne , formerly in the original ; Retrieved October 18, 2010 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / verwaltung.uni-koeln.de  
  5. ↑ a b c story. (No longer available online.) EWI, archived from the original on August 17, 2016 ; accessed on July 28, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ewi.uni-koeln.de
  6. ↑ Team Archive. Retrieved on July 26, 2019 (German).
  7. ↑ Prof. Dr. Marc Oliver duvet covers. Retrieved on August 12, 2020 (German).
  8. ↑ Annette Becker. Retrieved on August 12, 2020 (German).
  9. ↑ Friends' Association. (No longer available online.) EWI, archived from the original on August 17, 2016 ; accessed on July 28, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ewi.uni-koeln.de
  10. ↑ About us. Retrieved on August 12, 2020 (German).
  11. ↑ a b Ralf Köpke: The U30 team from the Wagenfabrik (subscription only). Energy & Management, accessed July 28, 2016 .
  12. ↑ EWI receives new structure and financing. Retrieved on July 26, 2019 (German).
  13. ^ Theodor Wessels , University of Cologne, Rektorenportraits, accessed on October 18, 2010
  14. ↑ EWI mourns the loss of Prof. Dr. Felix Höffler. Retrieved on July 26, 2019 (German).
  15. ↑ Prof. Dr. Wolf Ketter new director at the Institute of Energy Economics . ( uni-koeln.de [accessed on January 23, 2017]).
  16. ↑ Former staff: Univ.-Prof. i. R. Dr. Dieter Schmitt. University of Duisburg-Essen , Chair of Energy Economics, accessed on October 18, 2010 .
  17. ↑ Energy concept for an environmentally friendly, reliable and affordable energy supply. (PDF) (No longer available online.) German Federal Government , archived from the original on January 20, 2012 ; Retrieved September 30, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bundesregierung.de
  18. ↑ a b Udo Leuschner : Criticism of the financing of the "Energy Industry Institute" by RWE and E.ON. Energy chronicle. August 2010, accessed October 18, 2010 .
  19. ↑ a b Anselm Waldermann: Important energy study. Government experts are close to electricity companies. Spiegel Online , August 27, 2010, accessed October 22, 2010 .
  20. ↑ EWI receives new structure and financing. Retrieved on July 26, 2019 (German).
  21. ↑ EWI receives new structure and financing. Retrieved on July 26, 2019 (German).

Coordinates: 50 ° 57 '8.9 "  N , 6 ° 53' 51.9"  E