BWE: Amendments to German EEG Not Addressing what Energiewende Needs

The German Wind Energy Association (BWE) has stated its position on proposed amendments to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG), saying that they are not addressing what the Energiewende needs.

“Despite a large majority in the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, the German government apparently lacks the courage to give the Energiewende new momentum. Now that renewables have grown to cover 25 percent of domestic power demand within just a few years, we are entering a new phase of the energy transition. The governing coalition also plans to have renewables cover 40-45 percent of gross German power consumption by 2025 and 55-60 percent by 2035.

But the current proposed amendments for the Renewable Energy Act (EEG) do not address what the Energiewende needs and does not provide answers to crucial questions,” argues the president of the German Wind Energy Association Sylvia Pilarsky-Grosch.

“Today, we have published our comprehensive comments on these proposed changes. The sum of the structural adjustments constitutes a massive setback for affordable onshore wind power. We therefore consider these amendments misdirected.

“They do not do justice to the requirements for a future energy sector based on renewables. Public acceptance is required if the German government is to reach its goals. We therefore need a different way of distributing costs and more importantly, a completely different power market design. A revised method of cost sharing should immediately allow SMEs, the trades, commerce, and retail customers to benefit from lower wholesale prices, which would increase public support for the Energiewende. And instead of integrating renewables in a system created for a fossil-nuclear energy market under monopolist structures, we need a new market that gives players prospects. A new market design has to put affordable, variable solar and wind energy center-stage, with other renewables, highly efficient cogeneration units, and flexible gas turbines flanking them. Regional marketing opportunities down to retail consumers should be a part of such a system, as should incentives for storage. Yet, the current proposals do not even address these issues.

“SMEs, a lot of municipalities, and a wide range of energy cooperatives are the driving forces behind Germany’s energy transition. We want that to continue. Citizen input and the participation of communities provide a sound societal foundation for the energy sector and ensure local acceptance. Thousands  of people have ramped up renewables in distributed, democratic structures. We are ready to take the next step. The German government has to pave the way. Instead of setting a narrow course for growth, we need a wide passageway,” Pilarsky-Grosch argues.

Press release, March 20, 2014; Image: BWE