Platform for all stakeholders involved in the transformation of the energy system
Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen has laid the foundations for the Renewable Energy Platform, a new body comprising all relevant stakeholders involved in the transformation of the energy system. The core task of the new platform will be to coordinate the further expansion of renewable energies, their market integration, their interaction with conventional sources of energy and integrating the further development of renewables into plans for grid expansion.
The Renewable Energy Platform brings together representatives from the government, Länder, municipalities and local authorities, the renewable energy sector, transmission and distribution network operators, environmental, nature conservation and consumer associations, national energy industry and science and research.
At the opening conference Federal Environment Minister Dr. Norbert Röttgen outlined: "The development of renewable energies in Germany is a success story. They have evolved from a niche product into a major pillar which already covers 20 per cent of our electricity supply. This successful transformation creates new challenges for renewable energy sources and the role they play in the overall energy system: The goal is to promote, in particular, market integration of renewables, to coordinate interaction of renewable and conventional sources of energy and to harmonise the expansion of renewables with grid expansion. It is a major step forward that all stakeholders committed to the constructive and goal-oriented transformation of our energy system will act in concert within the framework of the Platform."
In a first step the Renewable Energy Platform will focus on electricity. Three working groups were established:
1. Market and system integration of renewables
This body will discuss the further development of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) - with a view to the challenges generated by the increase in renewables for the energy system as a whole.
2. Interaction of grid expansion and the increase in renewables
The expansion of renewable energy and the expansion of the transmission and distribution network must be aligned. In close cooperation with the Economics Ministry's grid platform the working group aims to find solutions for efficient and environmentally sound interaction of these processes.
3. Interaction of renewable energy, conventional energy and demand
The working group will elaborate recommendations to ensure smooth interaction between renewable energies, existing conventional power plants and the demand side in terms of cost efficiency and secure energy supply. This entails ensuring sufficient availability of conventional capacities as well as potential flexibility in conventional electricity generation and on the demand side.
The Renewable Energy Platform does not take decisions but issues recommendations. If recommendations are made to the government, decisions on their implementation will be taken by the relevant ministries or the government as a whole.