IEA says further action is needed if Germany’s Energiewende is to maintain a balance between sustainability, affordability and competitiveness

In a review of German energy policies launched today, the International Energy Agency commended Germany for its commitment to developing a low-carbon energy system over the long term – in particular its comprehensive energy strategy, ambitious renewable energy targets and plans to reduce energy consumption. The report noted that Germany has successfully implemented a broad suite of robust energy policies across all sectors notably in energy efficiency and climate change.

Nonetheless, the scale of Germany’s energy policy ambitions, coupled with the size and energy intensity of its economy, and its location at the heart of Europe’s energy system, mean that further policy measures are necessary if the country’s ambitious energy transformation, or Energiewende, is to maintain a balance between sustainability, affordability and competitiveness.

To date, German consumers have absorbed the costs of the Energiewende, but the debate over the social and economic impacts of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) has become more prominent as the share of renewable energy has continued to grow alongside rising electricity prices. The transition to a low-carbon energy sector requires public acceptance, and, therefore, retail electricity prices to remain at an affordable level.

“The fact that German electricity prices are among the highest in Europe, despite relatively low wholesale prices, must serve as a warning signal,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven as she presented the report, Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Germany 2013 Review.

At the same time, the IEA said that energy policy is based on long-term investment decisions, and the framework conditions in Germany for a policy consensus in favour of large-scale deployment of renewables have never been better. The Executive Director added, “The German government should maintain its policy course based on a predictable and stable regulatory framework while actively seeking means to reduce the costs. Sudden changes can undermine investor confidence and will drive up costs in the long term: Any form of retroactive tariff cuts – even if applied for only a short period – must be avoided.” Furthermore, there is a need to develop a mechanism to ensure that costs can be distributed more equitably. What has worked in the past may not be a blueprint for the future.

There is a need to develop suitable mechanisms to manage the cost of incremental renewable energy capacity via cost-effective market-based approaches, which will support the forecast growth of variable renewable electricity generation and brings new capacity closer to market needs, supports investments in appropriate locations and complements planned network expansion.

Among the key recommendations, the report calls for:

• The development of suitable mechanisms to manage the cost of incremental renewable energy capacity via cost-effective market-based approaches, which will bring new renewable capacity closer to market needs, support investments in appropriate locations and complement planned network expansion;
• Measures to ensure that the costs of the Energiewende are minimised and allocated fairly and equitably across customer groups, including households and small businesses, producers of renewable energy and energy-intensive industry and limit the growth of the Renewable Energy Sources Act surcharge attributable to the deployment of additional renewable energy capacities, while drawing all benefits from the rapid decrease in technology costs that has occurred;
• Timely and cost-efficient investment in transmission and distribution networks and a regulatory system that provides sufficient financial incentives and investment security for mobilising the necessary investments in distribution;
• An assessment, in co-ordination with all relevant stakeholders, of the extent to which the present electricity market arrangements enable the financing of economically viable investments in new, flexible gas-fired generation and cost-effective electricity storage. Part of this assessment must examine the suitability of capacity markets as a transitional measure to support the adjustment to a post-nuclear power system.

Germany must also develop structural co-operation at regional level, and within existing European mechanisms, in order to enhance security of supply at reasonable cost, especially under extreme weather conditions or periods of prolonged high demand. Furthermore, decisions on German energy policy inevitably have an impact far beyond the country’s borders and should be considered within the context of a broader European energy policy framework and in close consultations with its neighbours.

Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Germany 2013 Review is available for free download. 

About the IEA

The International Energy Agency is an autonomous organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 28 member countries and beyond. Founded in response to the 1973/4 oil crisis, the IEA’s initial role was to help countries co-ordinate a collective response to major disruptions in oil supply through the release of emergency oil stocks to the markets. While this continues to be a key aspect of its work, the IEA has evolved and expanded. It is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing reliable and unbiased research, statistics, analysis and recommendations.