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A few minutes ago, after months of tough negotiations, the majority of the economic and energy policy-makers in the German Bundestag voted in favour of an immediate and irreplaceable abolition of the funding stop for new solar power systems, which would otherwise have been reached shortly. The Federal Association of the Solar Industry e. V. (BSW) welcomes the decision made this morning in the leading economic committee to remove the 52 gigawatt solar cap in the Renewable Energy Law (EEG). The BSW expects a corresponding resolution to be passed in tomorrow’s session of the German Bundestag and subsequently in the Bundesrat on July 3.
“We are pleased about the great commitment of some economic and environmental politicians to this issue. It’s good that others have jumped over their shadows just in time. In doing so, they are responding to the cross-social will of an overwhelming majority of the population. The removal of the funding cap will finally remove one of the biggest investment barriers to the energy turnaround. In recent years and months the solar cap has blocked billions of euros in investment in the solar industry in Germany and caused great damage,” explained BSW CEO Carsten Körnig on the occasion of today’s decision.
At the same time, the BSW called on the Federal Government to follow up today’s initiated EEG amendment to abolish the solar lid with a major legislative reform by autumn at the latest. This must be used to remove further market barriers and to significantly accelerate the expansion of photovoltaics and storage.
As recently as Monday, market researchers in Bonn had warned of a power generation gap in the event that the pace of annual PV expansion would not at least double next year and even triple in the year after next (we reported). Körnig: “The photovoltaic expansion targets set by law still remain at the far too low level of 2010, despite the fact that the costs of turnkey photovoltaic systems have since been reduced by more than two thirds, a decision has been made to phase out nuclear power and coal, and climate targets have been significantly tightened. The solar and storage industry is ready to create 50,000 new jobs in Germany within a few years if this discrepancy is finally eliminated.
The EEG amendment (p. 7, article 8) now initiated in an amendment to the Building Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz) provides for the funding cap for new solar power systems contained in section 49 paragraphs 5 and 6 to be deleted without replacement. For years the BSW has strongly advocated the removal of the market barrier and with this objective initiated, among others, numerous open letters, most recently even a constitutional complaint. This will be withdrawn as soon as the law has been passed in the Bundestag.
BSW members will be informed as soon as the Bundestag has passed the amendment. According to reports, this will be the case in the evening hours tomorrow.
