Renewables industry presses German govt to present energy sharing rules

The German government is under increasing time pressure to legislate energy sharing opportunities and meet EU requirements originally set for mid-2021, said the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE). The federal government included energy sharing in its coalition agreement but has not created a regulatory framework yet. Until now, citizens, local authorities and medium-sized enterprises can form regional community energy companies and jointly operate renewable energy systems. Energy sharing would allow them to access the generated electricity at reduced rates. The current system withholds renewables support payments from energy cooperatives if they make the green electricity available directly to their members.

Legislating energy sharing “would strengthen democratic participation in the energy transition and at the same time increase acceptance for the necessary expansion of renewables”, said BEE head Simone Peter. The association, together with a group of energy companies, presented a model for the implementation of such projects earlier this year, stating that for energy sharing to be economically viable, state subsidies should also be applied in case of own consumption. The association also proposed a premium to cover the additional initial costs incurred by the participating cooperatives.

The European Union enshrined energy sharing in its Renewable Energy Directive in 2019 with a deadline to include it in national law by mid-2021. Energy sharing models already exist in several EU member states, including Austria where a one-stop shop helps consumers to set up or join new energy-sharing schemes.