Germany will probably consume around ten percent more electricity in 2030 than previously assumed - according to German Economics Minister Peter Altmaier. The reason for this is the stricter climate targets. According to initial estimates, a new study commissioned by the ministry now assumes an annual consumption of 645 to 665 terawatt hours, said the CDU politician. The previous study of the Prognos Institute from the beginning of 2020 had still assumed about 590 terawatt hours, the official government forecast was 580 terawatt hours.

If the forecast comes true, electricity demand in nine years would actually be almost 20 percent higher than today. Last year, Germany consumed around 560 terawatt hours.Since most of the electricity is to be generated from renewable energies in the coming years, the new forecast also means an accelerated expansion of wind and solar energy. Altmaier did not provide any figures on this. This will be the task of the new government starting in the fall. However, the Economics Minister said he would like to see clear guidelines for the federal states on the area on which wind turbines would have to be erected.

Altmaier said the higher electricity consumption would also be triggered by the accelerated expansion of electromobility. By 2030, 14 million electric cars were now expected on the roads, instead of the recent maximum of ten million. In addition, more heat pumps would be installed in buildings, which would also consume more electricity. In addition, the company currently expects to produce 19 terawatt hours of hydrogen by 2030 instead of 14. One terawatt hour is equivalent to one billion kilowatt hours.

In view of the higher demand, the Economics Minister believes that, in addition to the three new electricity highways already planned, "one if not two" additional major electricity lines will be needed by 2030. To achieve this, planning and approval procedures would have to be significantly shortened. To promote the installation of solar systems on roofs, Altmaier spoke out in favor of investment subsidies instead of a mandatory requirement. He also accused Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) of not having budgeted for the abolition of the EEG levy to promote green electricity. Abolishing the levy, which electricity consumers pay via their electricity bills, would cost around 25 billion euros a year.

Image by Matthias Böckel