Germanyalso under new EC rules for state aid that will be made public later today willstill be able to exempt energy intensive companies from the payment of the EEGsurcharge without risking having feed-in tariffs from its Renewable EnergiesAct (EEG) being labeled as illegal state aid by competition commissionerJoaquin Almunia.

Butthe country under a new rule will limit the number of companies entitled to theexemption to around 1,600 from more than 2,000 now, the energy ministry said.