A top executive at the energy giant Eon, Leonhard Birnbaum, is advocating for a change in the state’s feed-in tariff for renewable energies. “New solar and wind power plants should no longer receive a premium when there is an oversupply of electricity” he told the Handelsblatt (Tuesday edition). Any new regulation must also be extended in an appropriate form to existing installations.
Germany, Birnbaum said, is plagued by the “planned economy’s misconception” that more solar and wind power plants automatically mean more energy transition. If renewable energies are built in the wrong places, they cause unnecessary costs and burden the grid.
To strengthen the German economy, Birnbaum would focus on other areas. “The costs for health insurance, retirement, and care are on the verge of getting out of control” he said. Additionally, there are too many unnecessary reporting requirements. The Eon CEO is therefore calling for a bureaucracy reduction and fewer public servants. “If we want to reduce bureaucracy, we need a hiring freeze at the federal level.