Politics · Germany · 6 hrs ago
German coalition experts agree to preserve payments for small solar systems
Experts from Germany’s governing coalition parties say they have agreed to preserve feed-in payments for small solar systems.
The payments go to renewable energy producers for electricity they send to the public grid.
The proposal covers systems of up to 25 kilowatts, including many rooftop solar installations.
A draft from Economy Minister Katherina Reiche had proposed ending permanent support for new systems of this size from 2027, followed by three years of reduced payments.
The experts’ agreement is not final because the coalition has not settled its full energy policy package, including rules for connecting new solar and wind projects to the grid.
The parties aim to finish negotiations in the coming weeks and reach a Bundesrat session on 18 December 2026; the SPD wants the law passed this year.
SPD and Union energy experts have reached a technical agreement on reforming Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act, according to SPD representatives.
The agreement would preserve feed-in payments for small solar systems with a capacity of up to 25 kilowatts.
The coalition partners have not agreed on a wider energy-policy package, and rules for connecting new solar and wind systems remain a main point of dispute.
The government’s earlier draft proposed ending permanent support for new small systems from 2027, after three years of reduced payments.
The experts aim to conclude negotiations on energy legislation in time for the Bundesrat session on 18 December 2026.
- Who
- Energy-policy experts from the SPD and Union parliamentary groups.
- What
- They reached a technical agreement on EEG reform that would preserve feed-in payments for small solar systems up to 25 kilowatts. The wider energy-policy package is not agreed.
- When
- The agreement was reported on 14 November 2026.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- Not stated
Katherina Reiche
SPD
Grid rules for new renewable-energy systems
Katherina Reiche
Reiche wants to better coordinate renewable-energy and grid expansion and limit compensation when new systems are temporarily switched off because of grid congestion.
SPD
The SPD supports limiting a system’s maximum permitted feed-in below its peak capacity, which it says would reduce the need for grid expansion.
Economy Minister Katherina Reiche presented a draft proposing that new small systems would lose permanent support from 2027, after a three-year transition with reduced payments.
SPD representatives reported a technical agreement on EEG reform, while saying the wider energy-policy package remained unresolved.
The coalition’s stated goal is to conclude negotiations in time for the Bundesrat session.
- Small solar systems
- Feed-in payments proposed to remain for systems up to 25 kilowatts
- Earlier draft
- Permanent support for new small systems would end from 2027
- Transition period
- Three years of reduced payments under the earlier draft
- Target date
- Bundesrat session on 18 December 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
im Rahmen der Koalitionsverhandlungen eine fachliche Einigung zur EEG-Novelle erzielt
Etwaige Verständigungen in einzelnen Teilbereichen stehen unter dem Vorbehalt einer Einigung über das Gesamtpaket.
gibt es auch beim EEG keine abschließende Einigung