Overview
- The cabinet approved the EEG‑Novelle and Netzpaket on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, and the government set an immediate cut to feed‑in rates that takes effect on August 1, 2026.
- The reform ends long‑term fixed feed‑in payments for most new rooftop photovoltaic systems and replaces them with mandatory direct marketing plus staged transitional support.
- Transitional rules include year‑by‑year commissioning thresholds through 2027–2030, temporary reduced payments for new systems and a limited direct‑marketing bonus of 1.5 cents per kWh for up to 48 months.
- The Netzpaket lets network operators designate 'capacity‑limited' areas where redispatch compensation can be reduced or capped, a move aimed at cutting redispatch costs but flagged by critics as a deterrent to new projects.
- Industry groups and municipalities warn the changes could sharply slow small‑scale PV growth, threaten local jobs and disrupt long‑term heat‑network planning, while the government says the measures are needed to lower system costs and better match build‑out to grid capacity.