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Germany moves ahead with energy efficiency law, amid ongoing EU talks

(EurActiv, 21 Oct 2022) Germany is charging ahead with its own energy savings law, amid ongoing negotiations in Brussels over the EU’s flagship Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), according to documents seen by EURACTIV.

On Monday (17 October), Chancellor Olaf Scholz ordered his government to present a “very ambitious law to increase energy efficiency.” 

A draft has been ready since June, but the government could not agree on it, due to reluctance by the liberal FDP, EURACTIV understands.

But despite Scholz’s push for more ambition, the draft seen by EURACTIV indicates Germany may fall short of EU targets currently being negotiated in Brussels. 

By 2030, Germany aims to save 500 Terawatt hours (TWh) of energy thanks to measures set out in the new law, a figure which corresponds to a 9% energy saving goal. 

While this is in line with the European Commission’s original proposal for the EED, tabled in July 2021, the EU’s level ambition has since been revised upwards because of the war in Ukraine.

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EurActiv, 19 Oct 2022: Germany moves ahead with energy efficiency law, amid ongoing EU talks