On May 27, the BNetzA had already presented its proposals to the public in a webinar. According to the agency, the regulations presented there have now been incorporated into the final draft ruling. Affected parties and interested members of the public can review and comment on the draft ruling until September 18.
“The draft ruling implements the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the process a year ago: to create incentives to reduce grid costs and lower grid fees wherever possible,” saidKlaus Müller, president of the BNetzA.
Why Grid Fees Are Being Revised
The system for grid fees is about theallocation of costs. The new regulations are necessary due to a ruling by the European Court of Justice. The ruling states that,in light of the enormous changes in the energy system over the past 20 years, the distribution of costs must be revised. The existinglegal requirements set forth in the 2005 Electricity Grid Fee Ordinance will expire on December 31, 2028.
Last year, the Federal Network Agency issued a ruling on efficiency and cost savings as part of the NEST incentive regulation process. At the same time, the right incentives for grid-oriented behavior are intended to reduce redispatch costs and grid expansion costs.
Currently,grid feesaccount forabout 30 percent of a household's electricity costs.In total, this amounts toapproximately 37 billion euros per year.
Guidelines for Prosumers, Industry, and Energy Storage
Among other things, the draft regulation provides that prosumers generating their own electricity at the low-voltage level will be subject to a surcharge of 70 to 90 percent on top of the base rate. For facilities operating at medium voltage or higher, a freely selectable capacity price is to replace the power price. If the capacity is exceeded, an increased active energy price will apply, ranging from 200 to 350 percent of the regular price.
The band-load privilege for existing industrial facilities is to remain in effect until the end of 2031. This provision applies to atypical grid users only if their average consumption exceeds 10 GWh between 2024 and 2027. In addition, a new special grid fee for flexibility is planned starting in 2027. In the future, a capacity-based financing fee will be levied on new storage and generation facilities. Existing facilities may be exempt from this fee for 20 years under certain conditions.
In addition, the draft regulation states that dynamic grid fees are not planned for end consumers at this time. For feed-in providers and storage facilities, the fees are not expected to take effect until 2030 and 2032, respectively.
BVES Still Sees a Need for Changes
Compared to the interim report published in May, the BVES sees only minor changes in the regulations governing electricity storage systems. Among other things, the association notes positively that the BNetzA is pursuing dynamic grid fees as a long-term goal. However, the interaction with Flexible Grid Connection Agreements (FCA) and construction cost subsidies remains unclear. If storage systems were limited in terms of usable grid connection capacity via FCAs, the BVES believes this should also be reflected in their share of grid expansion costs.
The association takes a critical view of the transitional provisions for the existing exemption from grid fees. While the mandatory deadline set by the BNetzA provides greater clarity, the requirements for demonstrating a final investment decision (FID) go beyond the previous legal framework. This could make it more difficult to implement planned projects.
The association also sees a need for changes regarding the planned prosumer surcharge for self-suppliers in the low-voltage grid. Self-supply, storage, and grid-friendly behavior could contribute to making the energy system more flexible. Additional financial burdens should not hinder this.
The framework is scheduled to be finalized by the end of 2026. Further details are expected to be announced in 2027.
