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National renewable energy action plan

On 4 August, 2010 the Federal government adopted a national renewable energy action plan. The action plan outlines that the binding domestic target of an 18 percent share of renewable energies in gross domestic energy consumption will be reached by 2020 and may even be surpassed and amount to 19.6 percent. Currently this share is about 10 percent.

With regard to individual sectors, the action plan stipulates shares for 2020: a 15.5 percent share for renewable energies in the heat/cooling sector, a share of 38.6 percent in electricity and a share of 13.2 percent in transport. These new figures and the overall 19.6 percent mark do not constitute new targets of the Federal government, they are current estimates or expectations. In connection with the legally binding 18 percent target, the Federal government had already defined and legally stipulated sectoral targets before the national action plan was drawn up. By 2020, for instance, the share of renewable energies in electricity consumption is to be at least 30 percent, the share in the heat sector 14 percent. These sectoral targets will remain valid.

In its national action plan the Federal government lists in detail existing and future measures, instruments and policies for the promotion of the use of renewable energy. The measures and instruments required for achieving this goal, e.g. the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), have basically been established, but they will be regularly evaluated and further developed in the future. The action plan also outlines examples of regional and local measures which contribute to achieving the overall goals.

In autumn 2010 the Federal government will submit an energy concept whose outline will be broader than that of the national action plan; the concept will focus more on conventional energy sources and take energy efficiency developments into consideration. Within the framework of the reporting obligations vis-à-vis the European Commission the contents of the national action plan may be updated, if required.

The national renewable energy action plan is the core element of reporting obligations laid down in the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC). Based on a specific template EU member states must submit a national renewable energy action plan, including measures and expansion strategies geared towards achieving the binding national target. The national action plan was drawn up with the scientific support of the German Aerospace Center in Stuttgart (DLR), Ecofys consultants, the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ).

For further information on Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and reporting obligations regarding national action plans for renewable energies see:
Transparency Platform of the European Commission.