“Energiewende: What do the new laws mean?”

Germany will likely miss several renewables and emissions targets despite the reform of certain key regulations concerning the German electricity sector carried out by the federal government and parliament in 2016, according to a background paper by think tank Agora Energiewende.* The goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 (compared to 1990) “will most likely be missed […] if no further measures are taken” and the 55-60 percent share of renewables in gross power consumption by 2035 is “unachievable” with the current plans for renewables expansion, write the authors. The paper examines the implications of regulation reforms such as the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) and the power market reform. According to Agora Energiewende, these will bring “fundamental changes” for large parts of the energy industry, but little changes for the economy and consumers.

Find the background paper in German here.

Also read the CLEW article Ministry projections highlight risk of Germany missing emissions goal.

*Like the Clean Energy Wire, Agora Energiewende is a project funded by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.