Energy Newsletter

Transmission system operator Amprion warns that Germany's high-voltage grid will be completely saturated by 2026 and no new connections will be possible. The Federal Network Agency report partially confirms grid overloads and insufficient power plant capacity for grid stabilization. This blocks the planned expansion of renewable energy and forces investments in grid infrastructure, but delays energy transition goals by years.

German spot gas prices skyrocket to over 60 €/MWh, 6x higher than in the USA. Between February and March 2026, gas prices rose 45.6%, while electricity prices increased only 1.6% – but still show high dependence on gas-fired power plants for grid stability. Household electricity prices jumped 16% after war began, heavily burdening German consumers and industry.

Federal subsidies for renewable energy and energy transition projects climb to 77.8 billion euros in 2026, of which 29.5 billion euros alone for EEG feed-in tariffs. Despite record investments, German electricity prices remain the highest in Europe and CO2 emissions stagnate. The economy risks collapsing under energy costs while deindustrialization accelerates.

E.ON increases investments for electricity grid modernization from 43 billion to 57 billion euros (2026–2030) to expand infrastructure for energy transition and electrification. This signals recognized massive modernization needs and competition for regulated grid returns. EnBW, by contrast, expects only profit stabilization rather than growth in 2026.

Vattenfall is automatically set as default supplier after lease contract ends without explicit customer consent – thousands of users report unauthorized accounts and back payments discovered 2+ years later. This indicates systemic compliance issues at Germany's largest Swedish energy company and carries legal risks.