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Weekend Open Thread | 38 comments (38 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Industrial Electricity (4.00 / 4)

The above is from this Economist article, which was also discussed in Jerome's latest wind diary.

While the discussion at ET revolved around the electricity spot price, I didn't quite grasp an immediate explanation for the increase on the European industrial electricity prices compared to the USA as displayed in the above graph. The Economist article suggests that the doubling of German industrial electricity prices is a result of rising surcharges due to the expansion of renewables - but what then of the rest of Europe? This is from Wikipedia, using Eurostat data of the year 2011:

The Economist also writes about a 25% increase in German household bills the past three years, but doesn't display a graph to compare the same period with industrial electricity. This is also from Wikipedia, on electricity prices from a standard German household:

Data from Wikipedia calculated an increase of 66% since 1998, but that's based on the electricity price of January 2013, and there's a remarkable jump in comparison with 2012. Even so, a preliminary look suggests an increase of 50% for the standard household, and the contribution of the EEG-Umlage has fifteenfolded since 2000.

Another interesting note is the observed flight of German industrial companies which apply for exemptions, yet the Economist doesn't plot the price of industrial electricity with exemption, so I find it hard to value how much difference an exemption makes. Anyone an idea?

Perhaps I should've made this diary...

by Bjinse on Sun Jun 23rd, 2013 at 12:17:25 PM EST
Re: Industrial Electricity (none / 1)
Perhaps... ;)
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sun Jun 23rd, 2013 at 12:45:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Industrial Electricity (4.00 / 2)
I am noting that as far as I can see from up here the Commission is anti low prices.

A few years ago Sweden was one energy market. Then the Commission in its wisdom decided Swedish companies (read Vattenfall) charging danish energy companies a higher price for their load balancing then the average price on the Swedish market was illegal. So Sweden was divided into several energy markets with higher price as one approaches Denmark. There is even a silly cover story (which may or may not have been produced to sooth the Commission) that the lines can not carry so much electricity south and too little is produced in the south. The cover story prompting demands for re-starting Barsebäck.

So net result: higher energy prices in particular in  Scania, increased hostility against Brussels and/or increased confusion in the energy debate. Nice going.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Sun Jun 23rd, 2013 at 03:45:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Weekend Open Thread | 38 comments (38 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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