“A system running on empty”

Germany needs an upper limit for state-set levies and taxes that comprise large parts of the consumer electricity price, in order to relieve power consumers of rising costs, the state economy minister of North Rhine-Westphalia told Handelsblatt. “We have naturally accepted defining and reaching concrete climate change targets. Why shouldn’t we define a maximum limit for state-induced price components in the power price as a binding target,” said Garrelt Duin. Duin wants to freeze the levy consumers pay with their power bill to finance renewables development (EEG-surcharge) and pay the excess costs from a fund.

Read the article (behind paywall) in German here.

For additional reform proposals read the CLEW article Debate on financing renewables in new ways gathers pace in Germany.