"We are making the energy transition expensive" - ​​Bürger Energie Genossenschaft on enormous electricity prices and climate change

Created: 02/12/2022, 10:00 am

By: Magdalena Hoecherl

A start has been made: the community windmill in Kammerberg (municipality of Fahrenzhausen) has been in operation for six years.

It is one of two in the Freising district.

According to the BEG, however, 24 units are required for the energy transition.

© BEG

Electricity and gas prices are currently exploding.

A Freising expert shows the connection to the energy transition - and explains what urgently needs to be done now.

District

– According to the comparison portal Verivox, electricity prices are at an “all-time high”, and gas prices have also risen by almost 25 percent on average.

The connection between the exorbitant price level and the energy transition is discussed again and again.

Werner Hillebrand-Hansen, board member of the Bürger Energie Genossenschaft Freisinger Land, explains the connection, the possibilities of converting to renewable energies and what needs to be done now.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

Mr. Hillebrand-Hansen, are renewable energies the problem or the solution to the exploding heating and electricity costs?

Of course they are the solution.

The problem is gas prices and the current difficult geopolitical situation.

With more than 50 percent, Russia is Germany's largest gas supplier.

In addition, in the past decade, the management of the gas storage facilities, with which we are actually independent of new deliveries for three months, were mainly placed in Russian hands.

Now Russia wants to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into operation.

But the EU and the Federal Network Agency do not give permission for this.

So Russia tightens supply – and prices shoot up.

If we didn't already have 45 percent of the electricity generated from renewable sources in Germany, electricity prices would currently be even higher.

Renewables tend to have a dampening effect.

Nevertheless, it is said again and again that the conversion to renewable energies causes additional costs.

This narrative has been cultivated for years.

And through the EEG surcharge, renewable energies also had an impact on energy costs.

In the meantime, however, the EEG surcharge has fallen considerably.

In 2021 it was 6.5 cents net for electricity, this year it is 3.7 cents, and the federal government is already discussing abolishing it completely by the middle of the year.

What is currently added, of course, are the CO2 prices, which are rising slightly.

Nevertheless, the influence of the gas price makes up 90 to 95 percent of the increase in electricity costs.

And the reduced EEG surcharge has a dampening effect.

If the price of gas had not risen so much, electricity prices would have fallen by ten percent.

Of course there are voices saying that the energy transition is to blame for the increased energy costs.

The sluggish energy transition is to blame,

that gas prices hit us so badly.

The energy transition with sun and wind is the solution for independence.

Werner Hillebrand-Hansen sees the energy transition as an opportunity.

© BEG

How far along are you in the Freising district?

At the moment, renewable energies make up 75 percent for us, which is good.

Let's take a trip to the year 2035. If we have effectively implemented the energy transition, it would look like this: Neither oil nor coal is imported, we are completely CO2-neutral.

Overall, we will use around half of the energy because all of the electricity-based energy processes are significantly more efficient.

Among other things, we have many more heat pumps, and there are electric cars on the streets.

However, electricity consumption will double or triple – depending on how much hydrogen is imported.

The extra electricity we need has to come from somewhere.

This is feasible, even in our district.

But this requires the expansion of renewable energies.

Yes.

A further strong expansion of biogas would require too much arable land.

Hydropower can no longer be significantly expanded throughout Germany either.

The focus is on wind and sun, which complement each other wonderfully.

Most wind energy comes in the winter months, two thirds of it at night, and solar energy during the day and of course in summer.

If you combine both, you also have the lowest memory requirements.

In addition, renewable energies that are generated in one's own country are not only independent of geopolitical situations, but also more calculable in terms of prices.

Unlike coal and gas, for example, the investment costs for renewable energies are higher at the beginning.

Key word wind power: If the 10H rule remains in place, the possibilities for expansion are very limited.

Then the plan to be energy-neutral by 2035 is definitely not feasible.

If you distribute wind turbines all over Germany, you can make the best possible use of the different weather conditions.

The same applies to solar systems.

This distribution over a large area is also the most economical solution.

The energy transition is not expensive because renewable energies are expensive.

It becomes expensive because we make it expensive - for example with this "Mia-san-mia" special route.

So what has to happen?

Two wind turbines are currently in operation in the Freising district.

We are on the right track, but there is still a long way to go.

Because in order to achieve the goals, there must be as many wind turbines in the district as there are municipalities: 24. If they have not already been done, roof areas must be covered with solar modules, and the approval for the PV open-air systems that will then be required must be implemented quickly.

So there is still a lot to do.

Are you optimistic about the future?

There is reason for optimism that over the past 30 years it has been established that renewable energies are the cheapest - not only in Freising, Bavaria or Germany, but worldwide.

Because of this fact, they will eventually prevail.

However, there are still immense forces that want to keep fossil fuels alive because they still make good money from them.

And as terrible as it is: Experience shows that humanity obviously needs such shocking events as Chernobyl or the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley in order to change things.

Climate change was already known and described 30 years ago.

We are now feeling the effects faster than research predicted.

It is up to us to act accordingly.

More current news from the district of Freising can be found here.