Germany will produce a record 256 TWh of electricity from renewable sources this year, but at that rate will still fall short of its 2030 targets, according to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). Preliminary data by its Working Group on Renewable Energy Statistics (AGEE-Stat, an organisation made up of experts from various federal ministries and agencies which consolidates data on the development of renewable energy in Germany) show that sunny weather during the year has boosted solar PV production 23 % compared to 2021, while wind power production also increased. However, to stay on track to reaching about 600 TWh by 2030 – 80 % of total power consumption – renewables would have had to produce around 270 TWh this year.
By year-end renewables will have produced 46 % of German power consumption (up from 41% in 2021), according to a UBA forecast. Germany saw the highest renewables share in electricity use to date in 2020 at 45.2 %. Head of UBA Dirk Messner commented that the focus must be on expanding onshore wind power. Only if the right groundwork is done “is there hope of achieving climate goals and overcoming dependence on Russian natural gas and fossil raw materials,” he said.
Shortly after taking office, the German coalition government put into motion one of the largest reform efforts on renewable energy and efficiency the country has seen, but Russia’s war in Ukraine and the current energy crisis have prompted the economy and climate ministry to present many amendments to existing laws and funding schemes much faster than originally planned. These are mainly geared towards boosting the country's renewable energy capacity, especially onshore wind, but also to accelerate grid planning and the development of offshore wind connections, and to make building stock more efficient. Many of the reforms were instituted in parliament during 2022.
