Delays in grid expansion: BUND Saxony criticises the State Secretary for Economic Affairs’ proposed priorities

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Years of dithering over grid expansion are now having consequences in Saxony too: More and more applications for grid connections for renewable energy installations are being put on hold and piling up with the grid operators, as if Saxony were still in the year 2016 and could leisurely stroll into a climate-friendly future without fossil fuels. But this complacency, hesitation and obstruction come at a price. Except that the solution proposed by Saxony’s State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Sebastian Scheel (SPD), on 24 July is downright counterproductive.

He was speaking not only for himself, but for the entire Saxon state government, when he issued a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs: “In the context of the planned amendments to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the Grid Package, the Free State of Saxony calls for clear prioritisation in the allocation of scarce grid connection capacity. Saxony welcomes the federal government’s intention to make the energy system more market-oriented, reduce bureaucracy and lower system costs. At the same time, from Saxony’s perspective, there is still a clear need for further improvements to the draft legislation.”

Prioritisation rather than acceleration

In doing so, he is essentially adopting the federal government’s current delaying tactics. For behind the label ‘prioritisation’ lies nothing other than a further delay in the urgently needed grid expansion, without which the renewable energy projects stuck in the queue simply cannot be connected to the grid. For years, Germany has been lagging behind in grid expansion.

“For the energy transition to succeed, the expansion of the electricity grids and the expansion of renewable energies must be better coordinated. This requires planning certainty now,” explains State Secretary for Economic Affairs Sebastian Scheel. As if ‘better coordination’ could somehow compensate for the sluggish expansion.

“Grid operators are now being literally inundated with connection requests. It is therefore time to enshrine in federal law a prioritisation of grid connection capacity based on actual demand. The current principle, which grants every business model a legal right to a connection, does not meet the requirements of a modern energy and industrial policy.”

Citizens are driving the energy transition

However, it was precisely this ‘previous principle’ that laid the foundation for the share of renewable energy in Saxony’s electricity mix to rise so significantly, rendering the burning of huge quantities of coal unnecessary. Yet it is not only in Saxony that conservative politicians are putting up obstacles to the expansion of wind power. They are also holding back grid expansion, with the result that the old grids are now no longer capable of integrating the newly emerging plants.

Saxony welcomes “the fact that the federal government has amended certain regulations compared with the initial drafts and reduced the burden on grid connection users”, the Ministry of Economic Affairs stated in its position on 24 July.

Instead of pushing ahead with the long-overdue expansion, attempts are being made to manage the shortfall as best they can whilst formulating a ‘strategy’: “However, the opportunity to take a more strategic approach to grid expansion as a whole and to consistently align grid connection capacities with the requirements of security of supply, economic efficiency and industrial development has not yet been sufficiently utilised.”

Sebastian Scheel: “The proposals put forward so far remain largely tied to the existing system and primarily address the symptoms. What is needed now is a sensible and transparent prioritisation of scarce grid connection capacity.”

Saxon-style scarcity management

But his proposal, too, remains ‘trapped within the existing system’. Behind the call for prioritisation lies nothing more than the authorities’ management of shortages.

In this stated position of the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs, BUND Saxony fears that citizen-led energy initiatives and smaller projects will be sidelined – in other words, simply relegated to the back of the queue – whilst commercial enterprises are given priority. Yet it is precisely these projects that are a key driver of the energy transition and deserve reliable framework conditions.

“The energy transition is a collective endeavour. It will only succeed if local people can play an active role in shaping it,” says BUND Saxony, articulating the principle that ultimately fuels the energy transition. “In recent years, hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken responsibility through small solar panels on their roofs, energy cooperatives and local authority projects, and have played a key role in driving forward the expansion of renewable energy. This success story must not now be jeopardised.”

And are they now expected to wait even longer to be connected to the grid?

Grid expansion, storage and flexibility

“An energy transition that relies primarily on a few large players fails to recognise the strength of our decentralised energy system,” comments Prof. Felix Ekardt, Chair of BUND Saxony, on the situation.

“Citizen-led energy creates regional value, strengthens the skilled trades and small and medium-sized enterprises, increases local acceptance and makes our energy supply more independent and resilient. Energy cooperatives, in particular, have been demonstrating for years that climate protection and democratic participation go hand in hand. Instead of making it harder for smaller players to access the energy system, we need reliable framework conditions for investment. Grid bottlenecks must not be allowed to slow down community-led energy. Rather, grids, storage facilities and smart flexibility solutions must be consistently expanded so that renewable electricity can be used where it is generated.”

BUND Saxony therefore calls on the federal government and those responsible in the federal states to consistently strengthen community energy, energy cooperatives and local authority projects; to refrain from introducing any measures that would disadvantage small photovoltaic systems and battery storage; to create planning certainty for investments; to promote participation rather than concentration, and to accelerate grid expansion, storage and flexibility options, rather than holding back the expansion of renewable energy.

The energy transition is not merely a climate protection project, but also a project for resilience, peace and democracy. “Those who strengthen community-led energy strengthen regional value creation, security of supply and social cohesion.”