BERLIN - Responsibility for Germany's booming renewable energy sector in a future coalition government will remain with the environment ministry, the leader of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) said on Monday.
"As for energy policy, things will stay as they are. In very rough terms, classical (sources of energy) will stay in the economy ministry and renewables in the environment ministry," SPD leader Franz Muentefering told a news conference.

Muentefering was speaking after Germany's SPD and conservatives (CDU/CSU) agreed to enter into formal negotiations to form a coalition following the country's inconclusive Sept. 18 general election.
Party sources said it had been agreed the SPD will nominate a future environment minister, while the economy ministry will be headed by Bavarian conservative leader Edmund Stoiber.
The conservatives campaigned during the election on a pledge to scale back a planned phase out of nuclear power and to review the subsidies provided for renewable power sources by the outgoing Social Democrat-Greens government
SPD officials have said since the election they would stick by their pledge to close nuclear capacity as planned.
Detailed coalition negotiations are due to begin next Monday. Christian Democrat (CDU) leader Angela Merkel, who is set to become chancellor, said she hoped they would be over by Nov. 12