The Bundestag paves the way for faster expansion of power lines

Berlin. In order to further promote the energy transition, the electricity grids must be expanded more quickly. The Bundestag gave the green light for this on Friday with a change in the law. Accordingly, the expansion of two electricity lines that will transport green electricity from the north of Germany to the south must be brought forward. Specifically, there are nine lines that must now be included in the federal needs plan earlier than planned and will therefore be built more quickly.

When exactly construction can start depends on the plans of the Federal Network Agency and the transmission system operators. With the decision of the Bundestag, the expansion can start as soon as possible.

Electricity should reach the south and west faster

The change that has now been decided on concerns nine electricity highways that are planned as underground cables, SPD energy politician Markus Hümmer explained in the Bundestag. They are part of the so-called Northeast Connection, which transports electricity from Schleswig-Holstein to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, as well as the Rhine-Main Connection. The Rhine-Main Connection is to better route electricity from Lower Saxony to the south in the future.

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According to the bill, expanding the lines will cost around 47 billion euros. This could also increase electricity costs for consumers. According to the bill, network tariffs, which are passed on to all electricity customers, will increase by around 80 euros net per year as a result of the investments. Green politician Ingrid Nestle sees this effect being offset by cost savings elsewhere. “We will all benefit enormously from the network expansion,” Nestle told the dpa news agency.

Most households are not affected by the increase

The extra costs caused by network tariffs would counteract the savings, because the new lines would lead to fewer energy bottlenecks and the use of “expensive fossil fuel plants” would be limited. She assured that most households – especially those on low incomes – would not be affected by the increase.

FDP parliamentary group member Lukas Köhler also says that he assumes that the network expansion will lead to a secure power supply “at affordable prices” in the long term.

In addition to the new power lines, the Bundestag should actually deal with further changes to the law on the expansion of renewable energy sources on Friday. Extensive regulations for the transposition of a corresponding EU directive into national law are to be discussed. According to the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, this discussion has been postponed to a “later date”.

RND/dpa