“State aid: Commission approves auction scheme for electricity from renewable sources in Germany”

The EU Commission today found this year’s Renewable Energy Act (EEG) reform to be in line with EU state aid rules. “The amendments to the German EEG law we approved today make sure that one of the largest renewable support schemes in the EU will be based on auctions,” said EU competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in a press release. The reform, finalised this summer, introduces auctions for renewables support, aims to reduce costs for consumers and limits renewables development. The Commission’s approval meant that the reform could take effect as planned from 1 January 2017, the federal economy ministry said in a press release.

Find the Commission press release in English here and the BMWi press release in German here.

For background read the CLEW dossier The reform of the Renewable Energy Act.