“Spoiled by the wind”

States like Lower Saxony are pushing for more wind power development even though the grid connections to transport the green power are lacking, Der Spiegel writes. There are no incentives for the state government to accelerate the construction of new power lines because wind parks are paid for their power regardless of whether they can actually deliver it. Every state is pursuing its own energy transition, with some delaying the grid expansion, others pushing for more subsidies for overly expensive biogas plants (Bavaria) and others building wind turbines in areas with little wind, the article says. This all goes against the interest of the power customer who has to foot the bill for these regional business support schemes.

Read a CLEW factsheet on federalism and the energy transition.