“Energy cost relief for the iron and steel industry”
In 2014/15, the iron and steel industry has received about 2 billion euros per year in reliefs and exemptions from taxes and fees for electricity and CO2, according to an analysis by Green Budget Germany (FÖS), commissioned by the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag. This translates to a subsidy of 17-18,000 euros per employee in the sector, the study says. With 717-805 million euros, industry exemptions from the renewables surcharge make up the largest part. Other factors are reductions in electricity taxes (489 million euros) and the free allocation of CO2-certificates within the EU Emissions Trading System (254 million euros), the FÖS paper says. “The industry profits hugely from the Energiewende and needs to contribute more than up until now. It can’t be that in the end, the private end consumer pays the price,” said Green member of parliament Oliver Krischer, according to an article in Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ).
Find the study in German on the FÖS website.
Read the article in German on the WAZ website.
Find more information on Industrial power prices and the Energiewende in the CLEW factsheet.