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Published on 05/27/2026 at 11:56 am EDT
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The reform is necessary because current regulations are set to expire at the end of 2028 following a ruling by the European Court of Justice. Furthermore, the regulatory framework dating back to 2005 is considered outdated in light of the energy transition, which has seen the expansion of solar and wind power generation and millions of private solar installations.
‘Those who generate their own electricity have so far contributed less to financing the grid,’ said agency head Klaus Müller. However, even these users rely on the grid when the sun is not shining and storage systems are empty. ‘We therefore want power producers to contribute a little more to the costs. This is a matter of fairness.’
AUTHORITIES: COSTS OF APPROXIMATELY 100 EUROS FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR SYSTEMS
For the approximately 40 million household customers without their own generation facilities, little will change. What is new is that consumers who generate electricity on their roofs, for example, will be required to pay a higher annual base price. They draw less electricity from the grid and therefore currently pay lower grid fees than consumers without their own solar systems. According to the authority, the additional burden should remain below 100 euros per year. Plug-in solar devices, such as balcony power plants, are to be exempt from this.
For the first time, operators of large-scale generation plants such as wind and solar parks will also be required to pay for grid usage. The Network Agency refers to a moderate fee on installed capacity, which has the potential to contribute up to two billion euros annually to grid costs. For existing plants, there will be a 20-year protection of legitimate expectations (grandfathering) from the date of commissioning. Electricity storage systems are also expected to make such a capacity-based contribution to grid financing in the future. For large industrial consumers, a new model based on booked grid capacity will be introduced. This is intended to create incentives for flexible, grid-friendly behavior.
The authority plans to make a formal proposal in the summer. Currently, there is only a preliminary position, which was preceded by numerous expert hearings and consultations. The reform is to be adopted by the end of 2026 to allow two years for implementation.
The Association of Local Public Utilities (VKU) assessed the proposals as partially positive. In particular, the protection of legitimate expectations for existing battery storage systems strengthens investment security, explained VKU Managing Director Ingbert Liebing. However, the association is critical of dynamic grid fees. The authority intends to introduce these no earlier than 2030.
Sharp criticism came from the Green Party. The additional fee for private households with their own power generation would drive residential solar systems into unprofitability, criticized energy policy spokesperson Michael Kellner. In conjunction with the plans of Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) to cut solar subsidies, this represents ‘an assault on small solar installations.’ Furthermore, planning certainty for new wind and solar parks would suffer.
(Report by Tom Käckenhoff and Holger Hansen, edited by Myria Mildenberger. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
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