Germany’s “green energy account” hits all-time high
IWR Online
Germany’s “green energy account”, which funds the country’s renewable roll-out, currently shows a record surplus of 5.7 billion euros, according to Renewable Energy Industry Initiative (IWR). German consumers pay into the fund through a levy on electricity bills. The funds are used to pay the feed-in tariffs that have driven the increase in renewable power in Germany. The account was created by the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the foundation of Germany’s energy transition.
A large surplus indicates that consumers are paying more than operators require to purchase renewable energy, making it more likely that the surcharge for consumers could drop in the future.
The fund surplus always balloons in winter, when consumers use more electricity - and therefore pay more surcharges - and solar plants don’t produce much energy which operators must buy. In the summer, the reverse is true: private electricity consumption goes down and solar projects ramp up production, pushing the account into the red.
