The German cabinet officially passed the draft amendment to the *Energy Industry Act (EnWG)* on Wednesday. The bill includes six core energy proposals but excludes the grid access optimization plan that had already achieved industry consensus. The Federal Solar Association (BSW-Solar) emphasized the urgent need to supplement digital grid access provisions, warning that this omission would hinder the advancement of PV and energy storage projects. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katharina Reiche (CDU) confirmed that the amendment would be submitted to the Bundestag for deliberation after the summer recess.

BSW-Solar CEO Carsten Körnig noted the absence of jointly developed grid access reform measures in the draft, including: mandatory establishment of a digital grid capacity platform, implementation of a unified application process, and contractual penalties for non-compliance. These measures would enhance transparency, enabling PV/storage developers to independently assess grid load before submitting connection requests and preventing project stagnation. The association also demanded the inclusion of unapproved key provisions from the 2024 *Solar Package I* and *Peak Power Act*, covering optimized solutions for agrivoltaics/parking lot PV, as well as technical pathways for smoothing solar generation peaks through battery storage.

The association warned that failing to promptly resolve legal uncertainties arising from the Federal Supreme Court's "customer facilities" ruling would obstruct PV deployment in multi-family homes and commercial/industrial zones, impacting electricity cost reductions for tenants and businesses. Grid operators also support reforms, advocating for a capacity reservation mechanism that considers project timelines to enhance investment security. Supporting measures include abolishing the natural gas storage levy (expected to relieve consumers by €3.4 billion) and implementing parts of the EU RED III Directive, which will establish "overriding public interest" status for facilities like geothermal power plants to accelerate approvals.
url:https://www.pv-magazine.de/2025/08/06/bundeskabinett-bringt-enwg-novelle-auf-den-weg-bsw-solar-fordert-nachbesserungen-bei-netzanschluessen/