Germany is a major electricity producer and consumer. It has the largest economy in the European Union. The country produced 488.5 TWh of electricity in 2024, with 59.4% from renewable energy sources. Germany's electrical grid is part of the synchronous grid of continental Europe.

Germany is undergoing an energy transition (Energiewende) towards renewable energy, in particular solar and wind, and away from nuclear and fossil fuels. It completed its nuclear phase-out in 2023, and is in the process of phasing out coal and fossil gas. The country plans to phase out coal by 2038 or earlier. In 2023, 31.1% of electricity was produced from wind power, 12.1% from solar power, 8.4% from biomass and the remaining 3.4% from hydropower and other renewables, for a total of 55% share of renewable energy sources in total electricity generation. In 2024, an average of 363 grams of CO2 was emitted per kilowatt hour of electricity consumed in Germany (compared to 433 g/kWh in 2022). Germany's emissions in 2022 represent a 40% reduction compared to 1990, the year of the German reunification. Germany once again met its target under the European Union's Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) in 2022.

As part of its energy transition towards renewable energy, Germany's installed capacity for electric generation increased from 121 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 218 GW in 2019, an 80% increase, while electricity generation increased only 5% in the same period, due to the lower capacity factors of renewable energy sources.

International electricity trade

In 2021, Germany exported 57,000 GWh of electricity and imported 39,600 GWh. By 2024, Germany's electricity exports were recorded at 57,400 GWh. Germany remains the second largest exporter of electricity after France, representing about 10% of electricity exports worldwide. Germany has grid interconnections with neighboring countries representing 10% of domestic capacity.

Electricity per person and by power source

Germany produced electricity per person in 2008 equal to the EU-15 average (EU-15: 7,409 kWh/person); that was 77% of the OECD average (8,991 kW⋅h/person).German numbers extracted from Energy in Sweden, Facts and figures, Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten), Table: "Specific electricity production per inhabitant with breakdown by power source (kWh/person)", Source: IEA/OECD. Last accessed: 26 April 2026. 2006 T23 2007 T25 2008 T26 2009 T25 2010 T49

In 2024, Germany's electricity production was 431.7 TWh. With a population of about 83.3 million, this was 5,476 kWh per person.see also:

+Electricity per capita in Germany* (kWh/person) Use Production Export Exp. % Fossil Fossil % Nuclear Nuc. % Other RE* Bio+waste Wind Non RE use* RE % 2004 7,445 7,476 32 0.4% 4,603 61.5% 2,025 27.2% 654 194 6,597 11.4% 2005 7,468 7,523 55 0.7% 4,674 62.1% 1,977 26.5% 670 201 6,597 11.7% 2006 7,528 7,727 199 2.6% 4,796 62% 1,706 22.7% 856 369 6,303 16.3% 2008 7,450 7,693 243 3.3% 4,635 60% 1,804 24.2% 873 381 6,196 16.8% 2009 7,051 7,200 149 2.1% 4,314 59.9% 1,644 23.3% 288* 491 461* 5,811 17.6%20176,0386,6786409.5%3,19948.6%87313.2%7115741,2523,50138.2% * This data for Germany is extracted from the international column of a Swedish report* Other RE is waterpower, solar and geothermal electricity and wind power until 2008* Non RE use = use – production of renewable electricity * RE % = (production of RE / use) * 100% Note: European Union calculates the share of renewable energies in gross electrical consumption.

Mode of production

Coal

In 2008, power from coal supplied 291TWh or 46% of Germany's overall production of 631TWh, but this dropped to 118TWh (24%) in 2020. In 2010 Germany was still one of the world's largest consumers of coal at 4th place behind China (2,733TWh), USA (2,133TWh) and India (569TWh). By 2019 it had fallen to 8th, behind smaller countries such as South Korea and South Africa.

Germany has shut its last hardcoal mine in December 2018.The last coal mine in the Aachen area closed in 1997, and the last coal mine in the Saar area (Bergwerk Saar) closed on 30 June 2012. Germany still has three large open pit mines for lignite: Garzweiler surface mine near Köln, the Lausitzer Braunkohlerevier and the Oberlausitzer Bergbaurevier both near the Polish border.

In January 2019 the German Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment initiated Germany's plans to entirely phase out and shut down the 84 remaining coal-fired plants on its territory by 2038. This is called Kohleausstieg (Coal phase-out).see also Ausstieg aus der Kohleverstromung in Deutschland

Nuclear power

In 1969, Siemens and AEG founded Kraftwerk Union AG (KWU). In 1977, Siemens got 100% of the shares. KWU was the only significant nuclear constructor in Germany. In 2000, the nuclear share was 3% of Siemens' business.WWF: In 2001, Siemens Nuclear Power (SNP), the nuclear division of Siemens, merged with Framatome to form the nuclear technology company Framatome ANP.ANP for Advanced Nuclear Power. In March 2011, after the Fukushima accident had begun, Siemens sold its stake in Areva NP to Areva.

The installed nuclear power capacity in Germany was 20GW in 2008 and 21GW in 2004. The production of nuclear power was 148TWh in 2008 (sixth top by 5.4% of world total) and 167TWh in 2004 (fourth top by 6.1% of world total).

In 2009, nuclear power production saw a 19% reduction compared to 2004, and its share had declined smoothly over time from 27% to 23%. The share of renewable and electricity increased as well as fossil fuels such as natural gas and lignite burning, substituting for nuclear power.

In 2011, following the Fukushima nuclear accident, the second Merkel cabinet established a firm phase-out policy for nuclear power (Atomausstieg). That same year, eight nuclear reactors were permanently shut down. These included Unterweser, Krümmel, Biblis A and B, Philippsburg 1, Isar 1, Neckarwestheim 1, and Brunsbüttel.

While the remaining nine reactors were scheduled for decommissioning by the end of 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis led to a brief policy adjustment. To mitigate potential energy shortages caused by the loss of Russian gas supplies, the final three units—Isar 2, Emsland, and Neckarwestheim 2—remained operational until 15 April 2023, when they were officially disconnected from the grid.

Renewable electricity

Germany has been described as "the world's first major renewable energy economy." The sector is primarily based on wind, solar, and biomass. Germany held the world's largest installed photovoltaic capacity until 2014, and by 2016, it ranked third globally with 40 GW. Similarly, wind power capacity grew to 50 GW by 2016, including over 4 GW from offshore installations. Expansion accelerated significantly in the following decade; by the beginning of 2026, installed solar capacity reached 100 GW, while total wind capacity climbed to 73 GW, driven by a record expansion in both onshore and offshore sectors.

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with a vast majority of her compatriots, maintained that "as the first big industrialized nation, we can achieve such a transformation toward efficient and renewable energies, with all the opportunities that brings for exports, developing new technologies and jobs." Following this vision, the share of renewable electricity in gross electricity consumption rose from 3.4% in 1990 to exceed 10% by 2005, 30% by 2015, and 50% by 2023. By the end of 2024, renewable sources accounted for approximately 56% of Germany's electricity generation. However, the transition in the transport and heating sectors remained considerably slower than in the power sector.

By the end of 2015, there were more than 23,000 wind turbines and 1.4 million solar PV systems distributed across Germany. Following a decade of accelerated expansion, these numbers grew significantly; by early 2026, the country hosted approximately 30,000 onshore wind turbines and over 4 million solar PV systems, the latter driven by a surge in residential installations and commercial solar farms. Employment in the sector has followed a similar upward trajectory. From 160,500 jobs in 2004 and around 370,000 in 2010, the renewable energy workforce expanded to over 450,000 people by 2025, particularly within small and medium-sized enterprises. Historically, about two-thirds of these jobs were attributed to the Renewable Energy Sources Act.

Germany's federal government is working to increase renewable energy commercialization, with a particular focus on offshore wind farms. A major challenge is the development of sufficient network capacities for transmitting the power generated in the North Sea to the large industrial consumers in southern parts of the country.The Wall Street Journal Online, 24 April 2012 Germany's energy transition, the Energiewende, designates a significant change in energy policy from 2011. The term encompasses a reorientation of policy from demand to supply and a shift from centralized to distributed generation (for example, producing heat and power in very small cogeneration units), which should replace overproduction and avoidable energy consumption with energy-saving measures and increased efficiency. At the end of 2020, Germany had 2.3 GWh of home battery storage, often in conjunction with solar panels, and home storage increased to 15.4 GWh at the end of 2024 while large-scale storage was 2.3 GWh. 72 GW of Germany's 100 GW of solar power, and 47 GW (2/3) of wind power, received a fixed feed-in tariff, and had thus little incentive to self-curtail during surplus power when grid price is zero or below.

Large-scale batteries can take 2 years to build, while a 30 MW battery can take a year. In 2024, Germany had more than 400 hours of negative electricity prices, supplying low cost input for storage.

Electricity prices German electricity prices in 2020 were 31.47 euro cents per kW⋅h for residential customers (an increase of 126% since 2000), and 17.8 euro cents per kW⋅h for non-residential customers (21.8 with taxes). During and after the Global energy crisis (2021–2023), gas prices and electricity prices increased significantly.

German households and small businesses have paid some of the highest electricity price in Europe for many years in a row. By 2025, 32% of the power price consists of taxes and duties, 27,5 % grid fees and 40,5 % electricity generation.

+ Hours with negative price Year Hours 2020 298 2021 139 2022 69 2023 301 2024 459 2025 573

Transmission network

Grid owners included, in 2008, RWE, EnBW, Vattenfall and E.ON. According to the European Commission the electricity producers should not own the electricity grid to ensure open competition. The European Commission accused E.ON of the misuse of markets in February 2008. Consequently, E.ON sold its share of the network.Lehmänkaupat hämmentävät EU:n energianeuvotteluja, Helsingin Sanomat 1.3.2008 B11 As of July 2016 the four German TSOs are:

50Hertz Transmission GmbH (owned by Elia, formerly owned by Vattenfall) Amprion GmbH (RWE) Tennet TSO GmbH (owned by TenneT, formerly owned by E.ON) TransnetBW (renamed from EnBW Transportnetze AG and a 100% subsidiary of EnBW)

In Germany, there also exists a single-phase AC grid operated at 16.7Hz to supply power to rail transport, see list of installations for 15 kV AC railway electrification in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Special features of German transmission network

There are some special features in the transmission network of Germany. Also they have no direct influence on operation, they are remarkable under technical viewpoints.

Garland-type communication cables