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reThe German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) said it was “disappointed” by the planned revision of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). The ministerial draft, which will be approved by the federal cabinet on Wednesday, is “clearly too short,” according to the trade association statement, which is available exclusively to WELT.
According to the ideas of the chambers of industry and commerce, renewable energies, which have been subsidized for 20 years, should now finally “quickly enter the competition”.
But even with the next EEG amendment, the market economy is still not moving towards energy change: “In general, it applies to the draft that individual adjustments are made,” criticizes the DIHK. “Innovations, on the other hand, are rarely encouraged.” Therefore, the bill is “a disappointment from an economic point of view”.
High demand for green electricity
From DIHK’s point of view, there is a simple recipe for turning green electricity into a sought-after commodity that prevails on the market without subsidies. All that is needed is to enter a certificate of origin for green electricity. Because the demand for green kilowatt hours, which are also recognizable as such, is high.
However, so far, the energy transition has been affected by the so-called double marketing ban. Therefore, green electricity that was paid for with the EEG surcharge directly out of consumers’ pockets cannot be sold separately as green electricity a second time.
The EEG obliges grid operators to buy green electricity from wind and solar power plants and market it on the EEX electricity exchange as “gray electricity”, that is, as an inseparable part of the overall German energy mix. Then the buyer can no longer assign the source of the energy.
Due to this double marketing ban, green electricity manufactured in Germany, with the exception of hydroelectric power, is hardly available on the market, criticizes the DIHK: “For this reason, Norwegian hydroelectric certificates form the backbone of the majority of green electricity tariffs in Germany “. not stimulated.
There are no longer grounds for a ban
The case would be different if the buyer could specifically opt for green electricity, which with a certified proof of origin would be clearly recognizable as made in Germany. “About 40 percent of companies say they are more willing to pay for certified green electricity in Germany or the region compared to a gray electricity tariff,” a DIHK survey revealed.
At current electricity prices, the basic willingness to pay two percent more in this case means a surcharge of about 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour in addition to the price of electricity, the DIHK concludes. “So there is considerable potential for more demand-driven expansion.”
In fact, the reasons why the double marketing ban was once issued no longer exist today. Originally, in 2004, the purpose of the ban was “to protect electricity consumers as payers of the EEG surcharge from double financial claims for the green quality of EEG-subsidized electricity,” as the Environmental Energy Law Foundation puts it. But this situation has now changed.
Other states issue guarantees of origin
On the one hand, all German green electricity is no longer paid for via the EEG surcharge: a growing proportion is already partially financed on the market through the subsidized direct marketing option. In addition, the federal government now wants to pay part of the EEG surcharge from budget funds to protect private household electricity bills.
DIHK contends that the original justification for the double marketing ban is no longer tenable.
In addition, other EU states also issue certificates of origin for subsidized green electricity systems. A distortion of competition. In Germany, according to the ideas of the DIHK, at least operators of new wind, solar and biomass systems should receive a certificate of origin. “These will then include the anticipated additional revenue in your offering and therefore reduce financing costs for everyone who pays the EEG surcharge.”
EEG surcharge should gradually decrease
Chambers of industry and commerce believe this means a lot to gain on the path to a market-based energy transition: “With guarantees of origin, operators of EEG systems receive a second revenue stream, the value of which is determined by the market”.
EEG promotion will be “less important”. In addition, plant operators become accustomed to “a market environment that facilitates the withdrawal of subsidies.”
Source: WORLD infographic
The EEG surcharge of 6.76 cents per kilowatt hour has been the highest cost item on utility bills for years. Due to the effects of the corona pandemic, observers expect the value to rise to almost ten cents per kilowatt hour in the next year.
However, the federal government plans to use the revenue from the COtwo– Use next year’s fossil fuel tax to limit the increase in the EEG surcharge and reduce it gradually over the years.
Germany has the highest electricity prices in Europe
Environmental economists have long called for a fundamental reform of the financing of the energy transition. Due to EEG surcharges, Germany now has the highest electricity prices in Europe.
A price to the end customer of around 30 cents per kilowatt hour makes it unattractive to use more green electricity in traffic, for heat production or in industrial applications. The high price of green electricity thus counteracts climate protection objectives in other economic sectors.
DIHK is not alone in calling for the abolition of the EEG surcharge. Reputation is also gaining strength in the energy sector. However, it is generally required that the EEG surcharge is no longer charged to consumers, but to the federal budget.
For example, green electricity supplier Lichtblick is calling for the EEG surcharge to be removed. “20 years of financing for wind and solar energy for homes and businesses is enough,” says Ralf Schmidt-Pleschka, climate and energy policy coordinator at Lichtblick.
From the company’s point of view, the abolition of the EEG surcharge has three main advantages: “First, electricity prices fall significantly, that is what is in the interest of all consumers. Second, the use of green electricity for mobility and heating becomes more attractive, which is an advantage for climate protection. . “And third, the monster of the EEG bureaucracy is being purged, which increases the efficiency of the energy transition.”
