Power grid stabilising measures cost record 1.4 billion euros in 2017

The costs for power grid stabilising measures rose to a record 1.4 billion euros in 2017 (880 million euros in 2016), says the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) in its report on grid and system security measures. This was due to lagging grid expansion, a Europe-wide cold spell at the beginning of 2017 and a record feed-in of wind power, among other things. “Only the grid expansion can lower the high costs for grid and system security in the long run,” said BNetzA president Jochen Homann in a press release. Costs include re-dispatch measures, the use of power plants in the reserve, and power feed-in management.

Find the press release in German here and the report in German here.

For background, read the CLEW factsheet Re-dispatch costs in the German power grid and the dossier The energy transition and Germany’s power grid.