The proposal to reduce the price paid for electricity from onshore wind farms from 9,1 to 8 cents per kWh, although they can generate electricity where it is needed, is not only short-sighted, but also attacks the most successful and cheapest kind of renewable energy generation. It threatens investments that only bear fruit after long approval procedures, and endangers the jobs of people whose know-how has been built up over many years in Lower Saxony.
Yet the proposal fails to tackle the electricity market structure that urgently needs to be reformed. The expansion of renewable energies has caused the electricity price on the exchange market to drop steadily. The absurd result is that, despite decreasing payments under the renewable energies law (EEG), the EEG levy has increased. Customers only notice the rising EEG levy on their electricity bills. They do not benefit from the reduced price on the exchange market. In fact, electricity tax and VAT on the EEG levy further increase the electricity price.
Another aspect of the endless discussion about renewable energies is that electricity generated from solar, wind and biomass is calculated at full cost. On the other hand, conventional sources of energy tend to be discussed in political discourse only based on their up-front costs. Costs such as final and interim storage of nuclear waste or environmental damage are not included in the calculation of the electricity price. This is not an honest discussion. The energy changeover must be accomplished sustainably and efficiently, without sacrificing trust and reliability. Ubbo de Witt, Managing Director of the Oldenburg Projekt group, says: "Companies in Lower Saxony are keen to contribute to a successful regional and national energy policy. But we need reliable framework conditions for this."
The question that needs to be asked about this whole development is: Why, when it comes to such vital decisions, have the experts once again not been consulted? There can only be one answer: The current federal government puts the vested interests of today's energy supply structures and companies before the interests of consumers and medium-sized enterprises with long-term investments in renewable energies. Putting the brakes on the development of renewables has the effect of destroying millions of euros that could be invested in a genuine energy changeover.
Further reading (German):
Bundesverband WindEnergie (BWE) vom 14.2.13: Kurzstellungnahme
Hans-Josef Fell (Bündnis 90/Grüne) vom 14.2.13: Rösler und Altmaier - die Totengräber der Energiewende
Forschungsstelle Neue Energien und Recht vom 14.2.13: Altmaiers „Strompreissicherung“ ist unausgewogen
BUND vom 14.2.13: Rösler verschärft Angriff auf Energiewende; Altmaiers Strompreisbremse wird zur „Energiewende-Bremse“
BMU und BMWi vom 13.2.13: Gemeinsames Eckpunktepapier
Kurzstudie KfW vom 19.2.13: <media 612 _blank - "APPLICATION, Kf W Kurzstudie Strompreise Februar 2013, KfW_Kurzstudie_Strompreise_Februar_2013.pdf, 57 KB">Steigende Kosten der Stromversorgung und stei-
gende Preise: Wer trägt die Zusatzbelastung?</media>
BUND-Hintergrund vom 15.10.12: Die Energiewende und das Märchen vom
unbezahlbaren Strom