Energy prices in Germany are high. The high price of electricity in particular is making life more expensive for citizens and is a burden on the economy. The good news is that more and more electricity is being generated from renewable sources.
Recently, the media has been talking about the "dark doldrums". Little sun and hardly any wind drove electricity prices on the electricity exchange to dizzying heights for a short time. This brought back memories of the energy crisis and unsettled many consumers. Normally in such situations, backup power plants step in and balance out demand. Experts explain that a combination of several factors led to this situation, which is more of a political issue.
Germany does not have an acute energy problem. In the third quarter of 2024, 96.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity were generated in Germany and fed into the power grid. According to the Federal Statistical Office, this was 2.5 per cent more electricity than in the same quarter of the previous year. Electricity generation from renewable energies rose by 7.1 per cent and reached a new high for a third quarter with a 63.4 per cent share of total electricity generation. In contrast, electricity generation from conventional energy sources fell by 4.7 per cent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, accounting for just 36.6 per cent of total domestic electricity generation.
Wind energy remained the most important energy source for domestic electricity generation with a share of 24.7 per cent. The strongest growth was recorded by electricity generation from photovoltaics, which increased by 13.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter of the previous year and was the second most important energy source in domestic electricity generation with a share of 23.8 per cent.
The amount of electricity generated in coal-fired power plants fell by 6.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2024 and now only accounted for 21.4 per cent; coal was therefore only the third most important energy source in domestic electricity generation. Electricity generation from natural gas fell by 8.8 per cent compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
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