Media reports: ministry sees likely rise in renewables surcharge

Handelsblatt / Süddeutsche Zeitung

“Energiewende gets more expensive”

The energy and economy ministry believes a rise in the renewable surcharge for next year is “likely,” according to a paper submitted by the ministry to regional states, report the Handelsblatt and Süddeutsche Zeitung. There is no scope for “decisions that further push up costs” during reform of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG), the ministry paper states. It also says that costs for grid management “could rise strongly in coming years,” reports Klaus Stratmann in Handelsblatt.
Michael Bauchmüller writes in a separate article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung the document “is probably meant to ward off wishes from the [federal] states” in the context of the EEG reform.

Read the Handelsblatt article in German (behind paywall) here.

Read the Süddeutsche Zeitung article in German here.

For background, also read CLEW's EEG reform 2016 – switching to auctions for renewables.

For more information on the EEG-surcharge, see CLEW’s Factsheet on defining features of the EEG.

Die Welt

“Too much green energy”

The rapid growth of wind energy scares the government and it wants to put on the brakes, reports Daniel Wetzel in Die Welt. Economy and energy minister Sigmar Gabriel plans to cut wind power feed-in tariffs by 7.5 percent at the beginning of next year as part of the reform of the Renewable Energy Act (EEG), insiders told Wetzel. But an alliance of regional states rejects the cuts. “A new and fierce battle about wind support threatens to delay passage of the EEG reform until after the summer recess,” writes Wetzel. Gabriel, the likely Social Democrat candidate for Chancellor in next year’s general election, wants to prevent anything that could increase the cost of the Energiewende, because the surcharge consumers pay with their energy bills will likely rise considerably this year, according to Wetzel. Some politicians “expect the surcharge could rise from the current 6.35 cents to more than eight cents.”

Read the article in German here.

Also read the CLEW article German green power levy to rise in 2016 to new record.

For background, read CLEW’s Factsheet Balancing the books: Germany's "green energy account".

Die Welt

“Green superstar stabs wind power lobby in the back”

One of Germany’s most prominent Green politicians, Schleswig-Holstein state environment minister Robert Habeck, has diverged from the party line and is alienating wind power supporters by saying he wants to slow down wind power development in the northernmost German state, writes Daniel Wetzel in Die Welt. “Habeck’s turnaround is also remarkable, because he does not base it on technical difficulties of implementing the green electricity revolution. […] As one of the first Green politicians, Habeck admits publicly that acceptance of ever more wind parks in the population is fading,” writes Wetzel.

Read the article in German here.

Frankfurter Rundschau

“Dirty European champion”

Germany is European champion when it comes to air pollution, according to data from the environment ministry, reports Frank-Thomas Wenzel in the Frankfurter Rundschau. The EU is suing Germany in two infringement procedures because of excessive nitrogen dioxide (NO2), emitted from diesel cars, and respirable dust. Almost a third of Germany’s test points exceed EU limits for NO2 emissions, and many municipalities might have to pay fines worth millions of euros, according to the article.

Handelsblatt

“At full speed into the time trap”

The “parents are liable for children” law to ensure utilities pay for the nuclear clean-up is not moving forward, despite publication of the report last month by the commission on financing the nuclear clean-up, writes Klaus Stratmann in the Handelsblatt. With E.ON shareholders deciding on the split of the company at the beginning of June, critics warn of “multi-billion-euro risks for the tax payer,” writes Stratmann. In a reply to a parliamentary question, the federal economics ministry admits that a timetable for the implementation of several laws regarding the nuclear decommissioning and waste disposal “does not presently exist.”

Read a CLEW article on the report of the commission on financing the nuclear clean-up.

For background, read CLEW’s Dossier on The challenges of Germany’s nuclear phase-out.

Rheinische Post

“Germany’s absurd energy transition”

With its Energiewende project, Germany’s government has been enacting an “absurd energy policy” over the past years, writes Martin Kessler in Rheinische Post. Kessler agrees with the general goals, but criticises the process: “A complicated system of guaranteed prices for renewable energies, tax exemptions und subsidies for saving energy, as well as a flood of new regulations that often contradict each other, have made a patchwork of the energy policy that’s beyond economic reason.”

Read the opinion piece in German here.