08Oct 2020 
The coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on Germany's primary energy mix in the first half of 2020. The sharp drop in energy consumption in these special circumstances has led to declines in all energy sources except renewables.
Find out more
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy presented its work plan for strengthening onshore wind energy in October 2019. Almost one year on, many of the main measures have already been rolled out. Time to take stock.
Find out more
Our electricity supply has three guardian angels on the bench, ready to join in. In extreme situations, they safeguard the stability of the grid. Find out here which reserve is used when.
Find out more
Wanting to be a researcher, to discover the world, to look into the future: it's part of everyone's DNA. Research into future energy worlds makes it possible and provides lots and lots of exciting news.
Find out more
'Combatting climate change is the central task of our generation. We have to make achieving climate and economic targets a priority and make the transformation towards a climate-neutral society by 2050 at the latest an irreversible process.'
Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier on his proposal for an alliance of society, business and government to promote climate neutrality and prosperity
This time in 'What the press say': They are enthroned on lofty balconies and bear names like Plug-and-Play-Solar or Guerilla-PV – mini power plants which allow consumers to generate their own solar electricity. Far below Berlin, researchers are busy working on the energy storage units of the future. Germany is one of the front-runners in the table of the leading producers of green energy.
Find out moreOn 11 September 2020, Economic Affairs Minister Peter Altmaier presented a proposal for an alliance of society, business and government to foster climate neutrality and prosperity. The paper contains 20 specific proposals to boost climate action and economic strength. Altmaier stressed that the business sector, and especially small and medium-sized enterprises, would need support and a reliable basis on which to make plans as they embark on this necessary transition. He added that the path to climate neutrality can only be travelled successfully, and social cohesion maintained, if climate action and commercial activity are reconciled.
Governments could bring the immediate need for economic incentives into line with the medium-term to long-term goals of decarbonisation and sustainable development by orienting policy measures and public spending to the energy transition – this is the message from a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).The paper provides practical insights and recommendations for governments to stimulate investment and policy action for economies post-COVID-19. The main findings: the report says that increasing public and private-sector energy spending to USD 4.5 trillion could boost the world economy by another 1.3% per year, creating 19 million new jobs in the field of the energy transition by 2030. The number of jobs in the field of renewable energy alone could thus triple to 30 million by 2030, says the report. This means that each million dollars invested in renewable energy would create three times as many jobs as investment in fossil fuel. The report concludes that strategic investments in the energy transition should be the immediate priority. The report is based on the Global Renewables Outlook 2020, which was published in the spring and which highlights the possibility for global energy transition in line with the Paris Agreement.
A fourth smart meter gateway has passed the Federal Office for Information Security's test. Smart meter gateways are the key technology for the digitisation of the energy transition. The smart metering system can do much more than a conventional electricity meter. A smart meter system consists of a digital meter and a central communications unit, the smart meter gateway. They provide each of the actors – from the grid operator, to the electricity supplier, right through to the consumer – with important information on generation and consumption. This will make it possible, for example, for the electricity grids to be controlled more smartly and used more efficiently in future.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is hosting the 14th SET Plan conference in Berlin on 23 and 24 November 2020 together with the European Commission. It is already possible to register for the conference on the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). The SET Plan supports the energy transition at European level and identifies key areas of research and innovation needed for a climate-neutral energy supply. The conference gives all decision-makers, researchers and stakeholders an opportunity to join the discussions on the shape of the future energy supply. The main focuses of this year's conference include system integration, hydrogen, offshore wind energy and the Green Deal's renovation wave.
Order the international edition of the "Energiewende direkt" Newsletter here.
