Bundestag adopts amendment to energy law - BDEW sees more planning security, but further need for reform

20.11.2025

Source: bdew

The German Bundestag has passed the amendment to the Energy Industry Act to strengthen consumer protection and adapt energy law regulations.

In the view of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), the revision brings important improvements, in particular greater legal and planning certainty. At the same time, the association warns that the reduction in bureaucracy is far from complete.

BDEW Managing Director Kerstin Andreae praised the largely unbureaucratic implementation of European requirements in particular. "This first step is the right one, but it is not enough. At both European and national level, we still need less detailed regulation and more shortening of standards," said Andreae.

Transitional regulation for customer installations

BDEW takes a positive view of the new transitional regulation for existing customer installations: Installations that are already connected at the time of entry into force are not considered energy supply networks until January 2029. The regulation is intended to create time to develop a long-term solution, including at EU level.

Energy sharing: opportunities, but too much detailed regulation

However, BDEW is critical of the extensive requirements for energy sharing and the planned grid platform. The association warns that too much regulatory effort could make the shared use of electricity more expensive. A restriction to one grid area and a centrally financed advice center based on the Austrian model are necessary.

On the other hand, the future flexible quarter-hourly allocation of electricity volumes in directly marketed plants, an important building block for energy sharing, is welcomed. The law also clarifies that shared electricity is to be classified as "other direct marketing" under the EEG.

Grid connection for large batteries remains unresolved

With regard to the grid connection of large battery storage systems over 100 MW, the Bundestag is not following the recommendation of the Bundesrat to exclude these systems from the KraftNAV. The BDEW warns of bottlenecks: Without an adjustment, there is a threat of a lack of connection capacity from 2026, which could delay new industrial connections until well into the 2030s.

CHP Act still only until 2026 - BDEW calls for extension

In the area of combined heat and power (CHP), the Bundestag is adopting the provisions of the government draft: There are no plans to extend the CHP Act or fundamentally extend it. The BDEW clearly criticizes this: an extension is necessary to safeguard ongoing projects and to avoid slowing down investments in district heating, the central pillar of the heating transition.