Renewable-leading Germany likely to be dependent on coal to keep the lights on through 2027

Germany’s energy regulator predicts the country will need to increase the amount of coal-fired plants it has on standby in order to ensure enough electricity during future cold snaps.

According to Bloomberg, the regulator said Tuesday that Germany needs 9.2 gigawatts to cover projected shortfalls in wind and solar generation for the 2026-2027 winter period. In 2022, the country had to put 8.3 gigawatts of primarily coal-fired generation on backup, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine deprived Germany of Russian natural gas supplies.

Germany has among the most aggressive nuclear-free efforts to transition its electricity grid away from any fossil fuel generation, and it reportedly hopes to phase out coal entirely by 2030.

The country shuttered its remaining nuclear power plants in 2023, and with battery facilities providing only a fraction of the backup the nation needs, much of its backup generation comes from coal and gas plants.

Since embarking on its energy transition, the country has seen its energy costs skyrocket and its once-powerhouse economy falter.