Disagreement is emerging within the federal government regarding the plans for the electricity grid, specifically those put forward by Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). Federal Minister for the Environment, Carsten Schneider (SPD), stated to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that there is “considerable room for improvement”. He warned that the energy transition risks becoming slower and more expensive due to the law creating new sources of uncertainty. Schneider insisted that the correct response to the fossil energy crisis is to give “full priority to domestic renewable energies” calling them the most cost-effective energy source available today. The draft ‘grid package’ revealed yesterday stipulates significant limitations on expanding green electricity in certain regions. According to these plans, grid operators will be authorized to designate “capacity-limited” areas if electricity generation in a given year was reduced by more than three percent due to overloaded lines. In such zones, the establishment of new wind or solar parks will only be permitted if the operators waive any compensation for undelivered power. Green electricity associations strongly opposed this “redispatch reservation” arguing that it complicates the financing of new projects because revenues become difficult to calculate accurately. Furthermore, environmental groups cautioned that this regulation undermines all plans for an accelerated expansion of wind energy.
Politics
