Struggling municipal utilities blame Energiewende - survey

Most of Germany’s heavily indebted municipal utilities say investments associated with the Energiewende are the cause of their woes, Franziska Holler, Benjamin Oehlschlägel and Sören Gaum write for industry magazine Public Governance. In a survey of Germany’s 100 biggest municipalities, three quarters of the 40 most indebted utilities said the energy transition was either responsible for their financial problems or posed substantial risk, the article says. In 2016, only 60 percent held the Energiewende responsible for their difficulties. Costs such as investment in renewable energy infrastructure were exacerbated by a fall in revenue in from fossil power plants, the article says.

Find the article in German here.

Also read the CLEW factsheet Small, but powerful – Germany’s municipal utilities.