(Oct 21): Germany’s plan to build a fleet of gas-fired power plants may be delayed by a local clean-tech startup, which has filed a formal complaint with the European Commission.
1Komma5° — whose shareholders include Hamilton Lane Inc and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System — states it’s disadvantaged by the project to construct as much as 20GW of gas-fuelled stations. The company states the build-out would be a waste of subsidies and incompatible with climate goals.
While unlikely to thwart the government’s plans, the complaint reveals the strain between Germany’s gas companies and renewable-energy firms, which have jostled for dominance since the nation pulled the plug on nuclear power back in 2023. The Economy Minisattempt already declared last month that the gas-plant project would likely be pushed back, with EU talks over state aid still not finalised.
“We want equal treatment,” Philipp Schröder, 1Komma5°’s CEO, declared in an interview. His firm operates a so-called virtual power plant, which aggregates hoapplyhold solar and other tiny energy providers into a network that can dispatch electricity like a power station. By storing energy and selling it back to the grid during peak periods, such a system can support keep the market in balance.
Europe’s largest economy will required 22GW to 36GW of additional capacity by 2035 to support keep the lights on, according to Federal Network Agency estimates.
The European Commission didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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