Energy Newsletter

In Q1 2026, renewable energies reach 53% of gross electricity consumption in Germany – a historic milestone of the energy transition. The production increase in wind and solar (73.2 instead of 63.6 GWh compared to Q1 2025) shows accelerated expansion, but simultaneously poses new challenges for grid stability and market mechanisms. The high expansion speed creates pressure on transmission system operators and storage infrastructure.

At Easter 2026, wind power overproduction leads to significantly negative electricity prices, revealing storage and grid expansion as critical bottlenecks. Users discuss battery investments and grid storage as solutions; Amprion reports massive redispatch measures (3.5 GWh curtailment in 12 months). This signals that grid infrastructure is not keeping pace with renewables expansion.

The four transmission system operators (50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT, TransnetBW) publish the NEP 2037/2045 with two major projects: Ultranet is to be completed by end of 2026, A-Nord to go into operation in 2027. These electricity highways are intended to reduce bottleneck costs and balance regional generation imbalances (south/northwest) – central to long-term grid stability.

A second European energy shock is emerging: gas prices have risen over 60% since the Iran conflict, French nuclear power plants become critical support infrastructure for the German power grid. Growth forecasts for 2026 have been reduced by over 50% by research institutes; Germany remains heavily dependent on external energy imports despite energy transition successes.

Expert forum discussion on how the electricity market functions reveals knowledge gaps: the thesis that every kWh is priced as expensively as gas power plant output is classified as false, but merit order effects are misunderstood. McKinsey Report 2026 warns of structural problems: 46 GW of power plant capacity (nuclear + coal) decommissioned since 2011/2020 without simultaneously building up storage and grid capacity.