Overview
- The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs confirmed in early October that it dissolved its dedicated Referat for Wind, Solar and Transformation industries and redistributed its tasks to two other departments rather than keeping a single unit.
- Drafts of the EEG 2027 and the Netzpaket would remove state support for many small solar installations, force small producers to market their own power and allow ‘capacity‑limited’ network zones that could make new projects harder to build.
- Reports that the 2027 federal budget may cut applied energy research funding by up to about 40 percent have alarmed researchers who say those grants are vital for bringing lab technologies to market and training skilled staff.
- Industry associations, research institutes and environmental groups held large protests in Berlin this week, with organisers saying about 8,000 people and police reporting about 6,000, and demanded fixes to the reform drafts and protection for jobs and investment.
- Supporters in the ministry frame the move as an administrative and fiscal reorganisation, but critics warn the combined package of reorganisation, legal changes and research cuts could slow renewables deployment, damage domestic manufacturing and raise risks to long‑term energy sovereignty as Parliament fast‑tracks decisions before year end.