The Federal Network Agency has presented guidelines for reforming electricity grid fees, according to which operators of solar power plants will have to pay a fee from 2029 onwards as soon as they feed self-generated solar power into the public grid. This is triggered by the expiration of the Electricity Grid Fee Ordinance (StromNEV) at the end of 2028, after which a new StromNEV will come into effect. The core of the proposal is a regionally differentiated feed-in fee of up to five cents per kilowatt-hour. The agency is thus responding to the growing need for grid expansion and also sees it as a matter of distribution, since consumers without PV systems currently bear the grid costs solely through their electricity bills. The consequences are expected to be additional ongoing costs for those feeding electricity into the grid, while other customers are to be relieved of these costs in the future. A consultation period runs until the end of March, so associations, companies, and citizens can still submit their comments. (t-online: 20.02.26)
Why the regulatory authority wants to charge for electricity feed-in
Network charges can account for up to 30 percent of the electricity price, depending on the region, and they also increase with grid expansion. Heat pumps, charging stations, battery storage systems, and data centers increase the load, which is why grid operators have to expand lines and substations. So far, this has been primarily financed by electricity customers through their consumption, while those feeding electricity into the grid do not pay a comparable fee.
The Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) wants to reverse this logic, but without completely equalizing the treatment of all feed-in customers. It argues that PV owners can reduce their grid consumption through storage and energy management, while tenants and households without their own systems continue to bear the full cost of grid fees. From the agency’s perspective, this creates an imbalance that a feed-in tariff is intended to mitigate. Furthermore, the BNetzA sees the additional feed-in as a driver of grid expansion in many cases, which is why feed-in customers should also contribute.
How high could the tariff be and what remains to be seen?
The agency proposes a regionally differentiated feed-in tariff, which could be a maximum of five cents per kilowatt-hour, with a moderate start. This is intended to allow for monitoring of feed-in customers’ reactions and avoid triggering abrupt cost increases. It remains to be seen whether the tariff will be dynamic, with time-variable fees potentially increasing the cost of feed-in at certain times of day.
In addition, the Federal Network Agency supports a construction cost subsidy for new grid connections for producers. However, it should only be due if network operators actually have to build a new connection. This principle is also found in the publicly announced grid package from Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU). The package also discusses not having to connect new wind and solar power plants for up to ten years. This increases uncertainty because projects could remain without a connection commitment for longer.
Industry Criticism and Consultation Until the End of March
The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) opposes feed-in tariffs in their proposed form. “Only at first glance does it seem logical to charge grid fees to those feeding electricity into the grid,” the association writes. It warns of increased complexity, higher costs, and additional bureaucracy, and also of reduced planning and investment security. Therefore, the BDEW currently rejects the proposal, while signaling its support for construction cost subsidies.
The reform has not yet been decided. The proposal is currently open for consultation, and comments can be submitted until the end of March. Only then will it be decided whether solar operators will actually have to pay when they feed electricity into the public grid from 2029 onwards, and how high this fee will ultimately be.