Katherina Reiche accused of lobbying for gas and nuclear interests in US

Internal documents from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) have revealed details regarding Minister Katherina Reiche’s March 2026 trip to the CERA Week in Texas, USA.

According to information obtained by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and FragDenStaat via freedom of information requests, Reiche used the industry event to advocate for interests in the gas and nuclear sectors. Her agenda included promoting new US gas supply contracts, supporting a return to nuclear power in Germany, and criticizing the EU methane regulation. She also reportedly advocated for aligning German energy policy more closely with that of the United States, while describing renewable energy as insufficient and stating that climate goals are ‘not an end in themselves.’

DUH and FragDenStaat claim the ministry delayed responding to their inquiries for months and only released the documents following a lawsuit for inaction. The organizations have characterized the released documentation as incomplete and are demanding full disclosure of the Minister’s lobbying activities during the trip.