German minister favours slashing solar tariffs

subscribe

Slashing feed-in tariffs for the solar industry by 16-17 percent is feasible, German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said, dealing a blow to the sector which is still hoping for smaller cuts.

"Regarding the photovoltaic (industry), cuts of 16-17 percent can be made. This is my opinion, this is not yet the position of the government," Bruederle said.

Shares in German solar companies extended losses on the news, with Q-Cells, SolarWorld, Conergy, SMA Solar and Phoenix Solar down 1.2-3.8 percent by 1024 GMT.

The OekoDAX, a composite of Germany's biggest renewable companies, fell 2.5 percent. "It looks as if there really will be a cut in tariffs and investors are nervous," said a Frankfurt-based trader.

Bruederle's comments came less than a week after Reuters cited sources as saying that such cuts were envisaged for April, sending solar stocks around the globe lower on fears that demand in Germany — the world's biggest solar market — would fall.

Markets have been awaiting plans by the German government to cut the industry's feed-in tariffs — prices utilities pay generators of renewable energy — which are now considered as being too high, but so far hoped for cuts of about 5-10 percent.

A double-digit reduction in solar feed-in tariffs in the middle of 2010 would ruin many German firms and end Germany's worldwide leadership in solar technology, Germany's BSW solar industry association said.

Investors' appetite for shares in the once fast growing solar sector has been curbed already by oversupply of cells and modules as well as tight credit conditions, which have thrown the sector into a prolonged crisis.

Related News

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Germany agrees 200 bln euro package to shield against surging energy prices

BERLIN - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz set out a 200 billion euro ($194 billion) "defensive shield", including a gas price brake and a cut in sales tax for the fuel, to protect companies and households from the impact of soaring energy prices.

Europe's biggest economy is trying to cope with surging gas and electricity costs caused largely by a collapse in Russian gas supplies to Europe, which Moscow has blamed on Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in February.

3 minute readSeptember 29, 202211:35 AM PDTLast Updated 6 days ago
Germany agrees 200 bln euro package to shield against surging energy…

READ MORE
china coal station

China aims to reduce coal power production

READ MORE

aps logo

APS asks customers to conserve energy after recent blackouts in California

READ MORE

wec deal

WEC Energy Group to buy 80% stake in Illinois wind farm for $345 million

READ MORE

N.B. Power hits pause on large new electricity customers during crypto review

READ MORE