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TenneT Warns Germany’s Power Grid Is Under Growing Strain, Urges Swift Decisions on Backup Capacity

The operator says immediate decisions on new gas plants are needed to maintain security once coal retires.

Overview

  • TenneT reports corrective interventions have surged to about 2,500 a year in its area, up from one or two two decades ago.
  • Roughly half of installed solar capacity—around 50–60 gigawatts—cannot be directly controlled, which at times exceeds demand and pressures system stability.
  • The federal government earlier this year lowered the size threshold at which new photovoltaic systems must be controllable, a step TenneT calls important.
  • Economy and energy minister Katherina Reiche plans to start the first auctions for state-backed gas plants by year-end, with support expected to cost billions.
  • TenneT says managing bottlenecks and balancing north–south power flows is costly and the burden ultimately appears in consumer grid charges.