Mehr Hitze, weniger Geld: Neue Projekte der Klimaforschung stehen auf der Kippe

A new study indicates that constructing new wind and solar facilities requires significantly lower subsidy costs compared to maintaining existing facilities, with the subsidy requirement per kilowatt-hour of electricity dropping nearly 90% for new plants. This finding comes from a report released by enervis, a consultancy firm commissioned by the Renewable Energy Association (LEE) in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The debate, however, is dominated by total costs, with Federal Economics Minister Katharina Reiche (CDU) frequently highlighting the heavy burden on the federal budget, with around 16 billion euros earmarked for green energy subsidies in 2026. The study estimates that the annual subsidy requirement for new plants awarded since early 2025 is about 400 million euros, compared to approximately 14.8 billion euros for the existing portfolio.

This difference is mainly attributed to the generous compensation packages for old plants, while new facilities would be financed through auctions with lower award values. The average subsidy per kilowatt-hour of solar power is particularly low at 0.43 cents for ground-mounted photovoltaic facilities, 0.61 cents for onshore wind, and 2.24 cents for rooftop solar.

Ursula Heinen-Esser, President of the German Renewable Energy Association (BEE), called for a more nuanced debate, stating that using total EEG payments as a measure of overall costs is not an appropriate benchmark for the actual costs of today's additions. She emphasized the need to distinguish between previous compensation levels and the current subsidy framework.

The Renewable Energy Act (EEG) has evolved from a promotion regime to an instrument for securing investments. The study appears amid the ongoing dispute between Reiche and the renewable energy sector regarding the planned EEG reform and the so-called network package. Reiche aims to limit subsidies for new plants and expand direct market access for electricity, while also proposing to eliminate partial compensation for operators of particularly stressed grid areas for up to six years if they temporarily shut down their facilities.

The renewable energy sector warns of investment barriers and a slowdown in the expansion of wind and solar power. Discussions on the details of the laws are currently underway in the Bundestag between experts from the Union and SPD parties.