Germany's energy transition in the media on 16 October
Research on the Energiewende – inter-active map goes online
A new online-platform brings together the output of 33 research projects funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) addressing the transformative impact of the Energiewende and its social impact, for example through public participation and energy-efficient buildings.
See the online-platform in German here.
Articles and opinion pieces on the EEG-surcharge:
Die Zeit
"EEG-surcharge: Power can be cheap"
Consumers lament high power prices – but do not change providers in order to reduce their bill, writes Marlies Uken in Die Zeit online. Only every third household has changed power provider in the 16 years since the liberalisation of the electricity market. Changing to a cheaper tariff can safe around 300 euros a year on electricity.
For the article in German see here.
Hamburger Abendblatt - Opinion
"The price for better electricity"
Nobody likes high power prices, writes Olaf Preuß at the Abendblatt, but instead chiming in with complaints about the Energiewende, people should consider who benefits from keeping the topic in the news: utilities whose business model is falling apart due to the boom in renewables are likely candidates. The costs of the energy transition come down as result of technological advances and new market design, the author says.
See the opinion-piece in German here.
Spiegel Online - Comment
"Rip-off is not a business model"
Several studies have shown that falling electricity prices on the wholesale market are not passed on to consumers by the power providers. This is understandable, writes Stefan Schulz, because the major utility companies misjudged the rise of renewables and are now dependent on extra margins as well as help from the government and tax-payers. To avoid being ripped off, consumers should act to change power supplier.
For the opinion-piece in German see here.
taz – die tageszeitung
"Siggi Gabriel 0.07"
The reduction in the German renewable surcharge of 0.07 cent per kilowatt-hour does not amount to major savings: the average household will save 29 cent per month because of it, writes Ingo Arzt in the taz. While Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel claims the price reduction is due to recent policy changes from his ministry, his state secretary Rainer Baake says the surcharge is only being reduced because projections of how much money was needed on the renewable-surcharge account had been overestimated.
For the article in German see here.
Frankfurter Rundschau
"Short-notice closure of several coal-fired power stations possible"
The Energy Ministry plans to take 10 gigawatts worth of coal power capacity off the market, Joachim Wille at the Frankfurter Rundschau reports. Up to 24 smaller power stations could meet their end according to an unnamed source at the Ministry, despite Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel repeatedly having stressed that “one cannot quit nuclear and coal power at the same time”. Meanwhile the official green paper on electricity market design is due to be presented in November and is supposed to aid an “unbiased and open” discussion. A draft law is envisaged for 2015.
