The calculations of the ZSW and BDEW are provisional, but promise a record: in the first six months of 2019, the proportion of renewable energies covering electricity consumption in Germany was 44%; in 2018, it was just 39% in the same period. At 55.8 billion kWh, onshore wind power was the largest source. Photovoltaic systems delivered 24 billion kWh and offshore wind power 12 billion kWh. Other renewable energies such as biomass and water power accounted for 36.7 billion kWh.

However, the large proportion of renewables is also the result of the unusual weather conditions: especially in March, but also in the other early months of 2019, the yields from wind energy were above average values. ZSW and BDEW are therefore stressing that other measures are necessary to achieve the climate change target of 65% of renewable energies. For Stefan Kapferer from the BDEW, this includes, among other things, abandoning restrictions on the size of onshore photovoltaic and wind power plants. For Prof. Frithjof Staiß from the ZSW “a CO2 surcharge on prices for fossil fuels which would be given back to consumers in different ways” to mitigate social hardship should also be considered.