Unnecessary Millions Poured into Silent Wind Turbines and Solar Panels: A Terrible Waste of Taxpayer Money
Unused Green Energy Costs Citizens Nearly 500 Million Euros in Taxes
Let's Chat Share Text Message Email Print Copy Link In 2024, the government will once again dish out boatloads of cash to operators of wind and solar farms. These facilities were repeatedly taken offline due to grid congestions, demanding a hefty payday from the taxpayer.
Grid clogs have cost taxpayers half a billion Euros yearly. In 2023, renewable energy producers snagged 553.94 million Euros from the government for unused power, as their plants were shuttered and their electricity unable to make its way into the grid due to grid congestions. The Federal Ministry of Economics confirmed this in response to a question posed by Left party representative Dietmar Bartsch.
Politics Sweetening the Rural Rage "Wind power has enriched East Frisian communities" Operators of wind turbines and solar panels enjoy a lucrative arrangement with the government, guaranteed a minimum price for their electricity. If market prices plummet below this guaranteed value, the government covers the difference. This arrangement is meant to provide stability for the expansion of renewable energy.
Plant operators often sell their electricity upfront. On windy days, it can happen that wind turbine operators must take their plants off the grid to prevent it from being overwhelmed. At this point, they've usually already been paid for the electricity, even if it doesn't get used. If they receive less than the guaranteed subsidy price, the government also makes up the difference in these situations. The ministry's numbers include the additional payments made precisely during times when plants were reduced due to the threat of network overloads.
Economy Green boom, old problems "Job recruitment based on competence is rare in Germany" Since there are more wind turbines in the north, more renewable electricity is generated there than in the south. On windy days, the transmission capacities are often insufficient to transport the electricity. How often the government has to reimburse operators when their plants cannot feed electricity into the grid depends on the weather and the progress of grid expansion. The specific amount in each case is also influenced by the respective market price.
2021 saw over 800 million Euros in waste
The numbers show: Compensation payments have decreased in recent years, indicating advancements in grid expansion. While 807.10 million Euros in compensation payments were made in 2021, 2023 saw a total of 580.32 million Euros - a slight reduction in the past year.
2022 was an anomaly with 186.14 million Euros. At that time, however, the energy crisis caused electricity prices to skyrocket. The explanation: The operators were cashing in nicely at market prices and received minimal subsidies.
Source: ntv.de, rog/dpa
- Renewable Energy
- Power Grid
- Wind Energy
- Solar Energy
Despite the reduction in compensation payments over the years, suggesting progress in grid expansion, the government continues to dish out millions in payments to renewable energy operators for unused energy. This practice, as displayed in the 2021 figure of over 800 million Euros, is a significant overhead that primarily impacts the community and employment policies, dramatically affecting general news and politics.
