Study looks at different scenarios for grid expansion in Germany

Fast decisions on climate targets, renewable growth and fossil fuel phase-out are required to plan the future German grid system, a study by the Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut) within a project funded by the Ministry for Education and Research has found. The researchers looked at additional scenarios to those normally used by Germany’s grid regulator, such as a decentralised energy transition approach, a renewable share of 85 percent, a fast coal exit and abandoning the high voltage direct current powerline SuedOstLink. There had to be a more open debate on the realistic alternatives to parts of Germany’s grid expansion, Christof Timpe, head of Energy and Climate Protection at the Öko-Institut said in a press release. And as long as it was unclear whether there would be none or 30 gigawatt (GW) of coal capacity in 2030, and whether there would be 150 GW or 220 GW of renewable capacity, appropriate decisions about the future grid could hardly be made, Timpe said.

Read the press release in German here and the study here.

Find a CLEW in-depth analysis on Germany’s grid expansion here.