Germans want energy independence, see energy transition as solution – surveys

Faced with rising energy prices triggered by the US and Israeli war on Iran, a majority of Germans want the country to accelerate a path that makes it less dependent on energy imports and supports the expansion of renewables as a crucial measure, several surveys from the energy industry have shown. 

Almost 80 percent of respondents in a survey commissioned by energy supplier E.ON said that Germany should seek to become less dependent on energy imports faster. Sixty percent agreed that the Iran war increased the urgency to speed up the energy transition. About 40 percent said that they have started saving transport fuels or electricity due to the war. Only a small share of owners of a combustion engine car or gas or oil heating system said that their general willingness to purchase an EV (21.9%) or heat pump (28.5%) has increased since the start of the conflict. 

In a survey by solar industry association BSW Solar, almost 70 percent of respondents agreed that the German government should reduce the country's dependency on fossil fuel imports by increasing the use of renewable energy and energy storage technologies. Seventy-eight percent said that they find the fossil fuel import dependency threatening. 

Germany is particularly exposed to energy price shocks given its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels – a vulnerability underscored by the 2022 gas crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The current energy price shock caused by the US and Israeli war on Iran and attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf region has revived debate about the pace of Germany's shift to renewables and the role of gas as a transition fuel. Leading environmental NGOs have said that accelerating the energy transition across all sectors is Germany's best bet for achieving greater resilience and energy independence.