Industry association opposes grid levy for renewables

Proposals to finance premium payments for renewable energies from a grid levy, once a competitive electricity market is in place in Germany, are not being welcomed by the power sector's industrial lobby. The Verband der Industriellen Energie und Kraftwirtschaft (VIK) is one of the central players in the market liberalisation debate. It is currently discussing grid transmission prices with utility federation Vereinigung deutscher Elektrizitätswerke (VDEW). Prices put forward so far are "two to four times higher" than in England, Norway, Sweden or Finland, says VIK chairman Max Dietrich Kley. He also says transmission pricing should be transparent. "Even for us some of the basics in the calculation are very difficult to verify," he says. Including the complications of Germany's renewable energy feed in tariff in transmission pricing is out of the question. Kley has also "lost all patience with the never ending discussion of energy taxes," which he says will threaten jobs and be a slap in the face for the 80% of Germany's manufacturing industry which has undertaken voluntary measures towards preventing climate change. He describes these as "a commitment made in return for the legislator's guarantee that no more energy taxes would be introduced."