[baridbelmedar]

Yes, but that's partly a consequence of how the German electricity market operates and the neglected state of its infrastructure, isn't it?

Wind power and other intermittent sources create grid instability, which drives up costs.

And to my knowledge, Germany has chosen not to have different bidding markets within the country (or has at least kept prices consistent across its four markets) to protect vital industries in the west?

[thrw42A8N]

This is how the energy grid operates everywhere, it's not some uniquely German mistake. Renewables require an incredibly huge grid investment - it's the same story they keep telling about external costs, only this time they don't want to hear it. I don't want to subsidize others' cheaper energy, I don't have any place to put my panels and batteries, I was happy with how it was before. But they would do anything to avoid the fees when they can.

[jillesvangurp]

Would you buy wind power if somebody provided that close to where you live? The way the system currently works is that you see no benefit at all if wind towers are close to where you live. Because somebody on the complete opposite side of the country only has access to gas power and the national prices are set for the highest price needed anywhere in the country. You are effectively subsidizing those people. Not the other way around. Your rates are high because gas is expensive and has to be shipped in in LNG form these days. No matter where you live in the country.

[thrw42A8N]

Gas is expensive because stable demand has been replaced by spikes based on renewable availability. I don't have any opportunity to get any renewable power - it's cold and there's no space for grid scale wind or solar.

[fsh]

This doesn't make any sense. Germany has storage for more than a season's worth of natural gas. The price went up because Russia stopped selling cheap gas to western Europe after its attack on Ukraine.

[thrw42A8N]

Myself I'm not affected by this. It's used too much as a counter argument, it's not universally applicable - even in Germany. The price spikes were happening before the war too.

[rrr_oh_man]

> The price went up because Russia stopped selling cheap gas to western Europe after its attack on Ukraine.

Is that really an honest way to frame this?

[pfdietz]

Yes, it's entirely honest.

[mschuster91]

> This is how the energy grid operates everywhere, it's not some uniquely German mistake.

The fact that Bavaria keeps sabotaging north-south transmission capacity is a uniquely German mistake, as is the insistence of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to keep the single pricing zone.