The CEO of German transmission system operator Amprion, Christoph Müller, anticipates controlled load shedding and elevated electricity prices this autumn In an interview, Müller stated that a blackout is not expected, even during periods of low wind and solar generation – often referred to as ‘dark doldrums’ – due to the predictability of such situations and the extensive tools available to grid operators However, he cautioned that necessary measures will not be without disruption
Müller explained that pre-defined groups of consumers could be given advance warning of planned outages, potentially lasting up to an hour and a half This could impact critical infrastructure such as hospitals – requiring reliance on emergency power and potential rescheduling of procedures – as well as retail businesses like supermarkets and industrial operations, which might need to temporarily halt production
He stressed that such controlled disruptions are possible not only during periods of low renewable energy production, but also during times of high wind and solar output, necessitating increased flexibility in the power supply This underlines the importance of building new power generation capacity and aligns with a recent report from the Federal Network Agency identifying a potential shortfall of up to 224 gigawatts of controllable capacity – such as gas-fired power plants – by 2035, even if renewable energy expansion targets are met and existing plants remain operational A delayed energy transition could increase this requirement to 355 gigawatts
While Müller believes the upcoming and subsequent winters are manageable, he foresees potential volatility in the electricity market, with prices likely to be significantly high He expressed doubt about Germany’s ability to phase out coal as planned The Federal Network Agency has not needed to invoke measures forcing coal power plants to remain operational, as sufficient capacity has already exited the market to meet the 2028 targets
Regarding nuclear power, Müller dismissed it as a viable solution “We should finally abandon these nuclear power dreams” he stated, pointing to the lengthy 15-year approval and 15-year construction timelines He also described the debate surrounding the monitoring activities of Federal Economics Minister, Katharina Reiche, as overly emotional, asserting that Reiche is not an opponent of the federal minister for economic affairs and climate action, Robert Habeck