New record for solar power generation: impending end to a success story

It's a real success story, but it could soon be over: domestic photovoltaic systems have already produced as much electricity in the first nine months of 2026 as in the entire previous year. It is now paying off that the traffic light government has pushed the expansion of renewables so strongly and has removed many obstacles to the construction of systems.

Given the high prices for oil and gas, this is not just a benefit for the climate. And: Every kilowatt hour of electricity from renewable sources makes the Federal Republic and Europe a little more independent of supplies from crisis regions or from the USA under President Donald Trump.

But instead of following the current direction and pushing for a further expansion of climate-friendly electricity generation, the federal government wants to push back on renewables and especially solar energy.

In these weeks, the Bundestag is setting the course for the energy supply for the coming years, and possibly decades. He is negotiating the drafts presented by Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) for a new renewable energy law (EEG) and the so-called network package to expand the electricity network. Both amendments contain a whole series of obstacles and bureaucratic requirements that make the construction of new facilities extremely difficult.

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The financing requirements for solar and wind systems are to be systematically deteriorated. This makes it difficult for operators to calculate when their system will pay for itself. Not only does it become unclear how much money they get for the electricity they put into the grid. The quantities that they can feed in should also be limited.

Almost twenty banks warn in an open letter to rich people that projects can hardly be financed under such conditions. But Reiche apparently doesn't care about that. It is extremely worrying that in her campaign against the energy transition, the minister no longer even listens to voices that are otherwise always heard by conservatives.