Germany will miss its binding 2020 target for renewable energy in final energy consumption if current policies prevail and the country doesn’t speed up the energy transition also in the heating and transport sector, new calculations by renewables federation BEE reveal.

“For years, Germany hasn’t produced progress with the expansion of renewable energies in the heating and transport sector,” says BEE managing director Peter Röttgen.

“Even a compensation through the electricity sector is unlikely due to too low tendering volumes.”

According to figures updated with data from the first half of 2017, Germany will increase its share of RE in final energy consumption from 14.6% in 2016 to 16% by 2020. That is lower than the 18% Germany has pledged to reach by then to the European Union.

If current consumption trends were to continue, Germany will boost its RE share in transport only slightly, to 6.1% in 2020, from 5.2% in 2016.

In heating, the share would rise to 13.1% from 13.3%.

Only in electricity, it would rise from 31.7% in 2016 to a high 39.8% in 2020, the BEE estimates.

“The next federal government must accelerate the expansion of renewable energies clearly and lower consumption in a sustainable manner for Germany to keep its commitments to the EU,” Röttgen demands, adding that the coming administration should abolish caps on the renewables expansion and remove barriers for energy storage.

Germans go to the polls on Sunday, but it is unclear with whom Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to enter a coalition.

There is a chance that the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) may re-enter government, which have increasingly be hostile to wind power and want to abolish the country’s successful Renewable Energies Act (EEG).

Transition

BEE: Germany to miss its EU 2020 renewable energy target