Energy Newsletter

Germany's electricity market in 2026 records a price decrease of 6.7% while renewable energy rises to a 55% share. RWE predicts further price reductions through declining generation costs and stable gas supply. Industrial subsidy programs support energy-intensive sectors.

RWE acquires transmission system operator Amprion and becomes a network infrastructure player alongside electricity generation. Amprion remains the only TSO without state involvement, while Tennet, 50Hertz, and TransnetBW already have public shareholdings. Strategic move for energy transition control.

All four German transmission system operators introduce a new maturity level procedure as of 2026 to ease network connection bottlenecks. New regulations enable more flexible connection options for wind and solar investors. Key reform for accelerated renewables expansion.

Germany plans to double annual wind power installations to 22 GW from 2026 (2022: 7.2 GW). Offshore projects by RWE, Vattenfall, and EnBW in the North and Baltic Seas are scheduled to begin construction in 2026. Central to the 55% renewables target, but grid capacity remains a bottleneck.

KIT, Siemens Energy, and all four TSOs develop CURL380 technology for superconducting current limiters to protect against network faults. Solves critical network stability problems with high renewables share. Field test with high-voltage equipment manufacturer HSP Hochspannungsgeräte.