Wind and solar expansion: grid costs to fall
Households and companies in regions with a strong expansion of wind and solar power are to be relieved of electricity grid charges. The Brandenburg state government had long been pushing for a fairer distribution of costs. On Friday, the Federal Network Agency presented a reform proposal.
Brandenburg's Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach supported the proposal. "It is unacceptable that consumers in the federal states that are most consistently driving forward the expansion of renewable energies end up with the highest electricity costs," said the SPD politician.
According to the grid agency, an average household with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt hours could save up to 120 euros a year if the proposal is implemented. "Even though I would have liked to see greater relief, the proposals are a step in the right direction for the first time, as they distribute the costs more evenly among consumers," said Steinbach.
According to the grid agency's ideas, the higher costs in regions with a strong expansion of wind and solar power plants should be passed on to all electricity consumers in Germany. "The energy transition is a joint task and investment in the grids benefits everyone. We want to achieve a fairer distribution of costs," explained Klaus Müller, President of the authorities. The grid fees are part of the electricity price.
Grid costs are borne by electricity customers via the grid fees. Because a lot is being invested in the grids in large parts of northern and north-eastern Germany due to the strong expansion of renewables, the grid fees there are noticeably higher than in other regions. "The wind turbine outside the living room window and the high electricity bill in the letterbox," criticized Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke.
According to the grid agency, the charges in some grid areas are up to 15 cents per kilowatt hour. On the other hand, there are regions where they are below 5 cents. There are also significant differences within the federal states. The authority cited Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg as examples. "This development has taken on an unacceptable dimension over the years," argues the grid agency. It would become even worse with the expansion of renewables.
According to the key points, 17 grid operators would currently be entitled to pass on their additional costs to all electricity consumers. The 17 operators supply around 10.5 million grid users. "Their grid fees would fall by up to 25 percent." Grid operators in Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt in particular would benefit. There would also be noticeable relief in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bavaria and Lower Saxony.
The authority emphasized that the significant relief for the affected regions would be offset by manageable additional costs for all electricity consumers. An average household with an annual consumption of 3,500 kilowatt hours would incur additional costs of 8.40 euros per year.
The authority is now putting its proposal up for discussion. It will then draw up the final regulation in a multi-stage process. It should come into force on January 1, 2025 at the earliest.
The proposal by the Federal Network Agency aims to distribute the higher grid costs in regions with a strong expansion of wind and solar power to all electricity consumers in Germany, as the energy transition is a joint task. Alternative energies, such as wind and solar, are driving up grid costs in certain areas due to necessary investments in the grids. Households and companies in these regions could potentially save on electricity costs if the proposal is implemented, using alternative energies like solar and wind to generate electricity and reduce their dependence on the grid.
Source: www.dpa.com
