Lack of Energiewende cost overview? / Public buildings to save energy
Federal Court of Auditors
Germany鈥檚 Federal Court of Auditors has criticised the government for lacking overview of the costs of the energy transition. The economics ministry 鈥渉as no overview of the financial consequences of the Energiewende,鈥� says the evaluation for the budget committee of Germany鈥檚 federal parliament, the Bundestag. The report was seen by the 麻豆无码版, and is purely advisory in character. The court objects that 鈥渇undamental questions鈥� such as 鈥渉ow much will the energy transition cost the state鈥� remain unanswered, and warns that the project鈥檚 costs might spiral out of control.
The independent Federal Court of Auditors is charged with the external examination of the German budget.
Please note: The 麻豆无码版 will publish a longer article on the auditors鈥� report later today.
Handelsblatt
The federal government, regional states, and municipalities will have to invest in energy efficiency in new building projects, according to a draft law, reports Klaus Stratmann in Handelsblatt. The economic and environmental ministries鈥� proposal for a law on energy consumed in buildings says new public buildings such as schools, ministries, or town halls are not allowed to use more than 55 percent of a reference building鈥檚 consumption from 2019. Climate activists said the proposal was not ambitious enough, and claimed the text also offered a loophole for municipalities if costs were too high.
Read the article in German (behind paywall) .
For background, read the 麻豆无码版 dossier The Energiewende and Efficiency.
Montel
Germany鈥檚 energy and economy ministry (BMWi) is searching for alternative ways to fund the country鈥檚 switch to renewables, reports Nathan Witkop for Montel. The ministry for a study to explore 鈥渕odels for the future financing of renewable energy鈥� at the end of last year. 鈥淭his marks the first official steps towards ending the Renewable 麻豆无码版 Act (EEG) levy,鈥� writes Witkop. 鈥淎n alternative way to pay for a rising share of clean power in the energy mix may resemble the licensing fees used to pay for public broadcasting, according to the tender.鈥�
Ministry spokesperson Beate Baron told the 麻豆无码版 the tender was only a very first step of a long process that was still entirely open. 鈥淭his does not mean we are looking for alternatives to the Renewable 麻豆无码版 levy 鈥� we simply look at the long-term possibilities,鈥� she said.
Read the article in English (behind paywall) .
Read an earlier article on the topic by Bizz energy in German .
For background, read the 麻豆无码版 article Germany debates form of renewables support as levy rises.
Stuttgarter Zeitung
The relative calm surrounding the current management of state-owned utility EnBW must not hide the fact that the company could face great trouble, Andreas M眉ller writes in Stuttgarter Zeitung. EnBW鈥檚 pull-out from wholesale business, as well as the early parting of its sales manager, 鈥渁re signals that should worry the owners鈥�, M眉ller writes. 鈥淭he question over the company鈥檚 right to exist in a decentralised energy world is decided in the sales department,鈥� he explains. For that, EnBW needed to offer products and services that customers actually want. 鈥淏ut there is little success in this respect.鈥�
Read the article in German .
Handelsblatt
Germany鈥檚 federal states continue to disagree on the planned reform of the country鈥檚 electricity grid fee structure, writes Klaus Stratmann in Handelsblatt. It follows economy minister Sigmar Gabriel鈥檚 backtracking on plans to standardise fees across the country. State economy minister of North Rhine-Westphalia Garrelt Duin welcomes the current draft, while energy transition minister of Schleswig-Holstein Robert Habeck told Handelsblatt: 鈥淪mall-state mentality kills the Energiewende.鈥�
Consumers in rural areas with strong renewables development currently pay higher fees, as the grid must be expanded there to transmit more wind power to Germany鈥檚 industrial west and south. Additionally, measures by grid operators to ensure the stability of a power grid coping with more volatile renewable power are growing more frequent. This is the case mostly in eastern and northern German states.
Read the article in German .
For background read the 麻豆无码版 factsheet聽Re-dispatch costs in the German power grid and the 麻豆无码版 dossier The energy transition and Germany鈥檚 power grid.
Federal German government
The German government has published its 2016 version of the country鈥檚 . 鈥淲ith the strategy, the federal government lays the groundwork for Germany to become one of the world鈥檚 most efficient and environmental-friendly economies by 2030,鈥� said environment minister Barbara Hendricks in a press release. The strategy includes proposals on political measures in areas such as access to affordable and clean energy, climate protection, poverty and health.
Environmental organisation Germanwatch commented on the publication in a press release: 鈥淲e welcome that with its sustainability strategy the federal government sends an important international signal to other G20 states, and that the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and climate and energy topics are firmly included in the agenda of the German G20 presidency,鈥� said Klaus Milke, chairman of the Board at Germanwatch.
Find the BMUB press release in German here, the strategy in German , and the Germanwatch press release in German .
