Germany
Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG, latest version EEG 2022)
Legislative
Law
Passed in 2000
This Act (introduced in 2000, amended since) replaced the law on feeding electricity from renewable resources into the public grid of 1990. The Act has set a goal of generating 35% of electricity supply from renewable energy resources by 2020 (amended from 30% after the Fukushima disaster). Longer term targets include the share of renewable electricity at 40-45% by 2025, 55-60% by 2035 and 80% by 2050.
In April 2022, the government announced plan to raise the law's ambition, with a notable target of 80 % of renewable energy by 2030. The so-called Easter Package should enter into force by 1 July 2022 provided the final approval by Parliament.
The main features of the last three amendments are specified below:
The 2012 amendment (Act amending the regulatory framework for electricity from PV) introduced monthly tariff degressions in the national feed-in tariff (FiT), replacing the annual FiT cut that typically occurs in January. A EUR50m (USD62.7m) research and development programme for PV storage solutions was also established, started in January 2013.
The 2014 amendment introduced four major changes:
In April 2022, the government announced plan to raise the law's ambition, with a notable target of 80 % of renewable energy by 2030. The so-called Easter Package should enter into force by 1 July 2022 provided the final approval by Parliament.
The main features of the last three amendments are specified below:
The 2012 amendment (Act amending the regulatory framework for electricity from PV) introduced monthly tariff degressions in the national feed-in tariff (FiT), replacing the annual FiT cut that typically occurs in January. A EUR50m (USD62.7m) research and development programme for PV storage solutions was also established, started in January 2013.
The 2014 amendment introduced four major changes:
- A deployment corridor for wind, photovoltaics and biomass was set in order to avoid overshoots;
- Direct marketing is now mandatory for all new installations (with minor exceptions);
- It lays the foundation for tendering of support from 2017 onwards;
- It removes several subsidies and exemption for energy-intensive consumers and 'prosumers'.
The EEG 2017 (entered into force on 1 January 2017, full details can be found here) introduces several key new features:
- introduction of an auction system for nearly all renewable energy sources (onshore wind, offshore wind, photovoltaic and biomass); installations of 750kW (for biomass of 150kW) will be exempt from auctions and remunerated as previously;
- a landlord-to-tenant electricity supply scheme
- the already existing auction scheme for ground mounted PV solar systems will be extended to also cover rooftop plants and installations on other structures;
- the permitted areas for PV solar installations will now also include commercial and industrial property, areas with a plan approval decision or projects which are, subject to further requirements, located in 'disadvantaged areas';
- onshore wind: in 2017, 2018 and 2019, 2,800MW and from 2020, 2,900MW (gross) will be auctioned each year; and
- offshore wind: up to 2030, offshore wind farms will be installed with a total capacity of 15,000 MW; the "central 'Danish' target model" will be introduced (the Government examines in advance the sites to be auctioned for wind farms to ensure optimal dovetailing with the grid connections and avoid a stock of grid connections having to be built and resulting in significant extra costs).
Documents
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2,800 MW renewable energy added annually by 2019, then 2,900 by 2020
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6,500 MW increase in sea wind capacity by 2020, then 15,000MW by 2030
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40-45% increase in proportion renewable electricity in gross electricity consumption by 2025 (from 18% in 2020), then 55-60% in 2035, then at least 80% by 2050.
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150 MW annual increase in biomass capacity, then 200 MW annual increase by 2019, 2022 against a 2017 baseline
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2,500 MW annual incrase in solar capacity by N/A against a 2014 baseline
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increase the share of renewable energy to 65% of gross electricity consumption by 2030
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all electricity produced in a GHG neutral way by 2050
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an increase in the installed capacity of onshore wind turbines a) 57 gigawatts in 2022, b) 62 gigawatts in 2024, c) 65 gigawatts in 2026, d) 68 gigawatts in 2028 and e) 71 gigawatts in 2030,
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an increase in the installed capacity of solar systems to a) 63 gigawatts in 2022, b) 73 gigawatts in 2024, c) 83 gigawatts in 2026, d) 95 gigawatts in 2028 and e) 100 gigawatts in 2030
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an installed capacity of biomass plants of 8,400 megawatts in 2030
from the Grantham Research Institute
from the Grantham Research Institute
