A draft federal German law seen by Reuters is to legislate the first closures of black coal-fired power plants beginning next year. The law, which is expected to be unveiled on 20 September as part of a package of measures aimed at climate change mitigation, will aim to close 12 black coal-fired plants by 2022, leaving the country with 30. Lignite-fired plants will not be spared either, although the government will be negotiating a deal with plant owners to agree a framework for compensation for their closures, with the first deal to be done also in 2020. Part of the wider strategy for the closure of coal-fired power generation capacity is likely to include payouts for low income families faced with higher power prices.