Alliance From Hamburg Sounds The Alarm: Reiche’s Grid Package Harms Germany As A Business Location And Threatens The Expansion Of Renewables

Hamburg (Germany) - More than 20 Hamburg-based energy companies are calling on the CDU to reject Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche’s planned “grid package” (Netzpaket).

In an open letter, they warn that the reform could slow down the expansion of renewable energy, increase costs, and jeopardize Hamburg’s competitiveness as a business location.

The alliance of Hamburg companies opposing the plans of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs particularly criticizes the planned end of compensation payments for revenue losses from curtailed (shut-down) installations. In addition, special rules for distribution grid operators threaten to increase bureaucracy and complexity. Instead, the companies are calling for stronger digitalization, smarter and more flexible grids, and an accelerated rollout of storage systems and smart meters to further advance the expansion of renewable energy.

Alliance sees Hamburg as a business location under pressure

Hamburg’s energy sector has voiced strong criticism of the draft “grid package” presented by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche. The recently published draft threatens to significantly slow the expansion of renewable energy. At the initiative of Green Planet Energy, a broad alliance of more than 20 Hamburg energy companies therefore addressed a letter to the Hamburg CDU ahead of the CDU party conference, calling for an immediate withdrawal from the Federal Ministry’s plans.

The Hamburg alliance includes companies such as Green Planet Energy eG, LichtBlick, GP Joule, Nordex, Enertrag, BayWa r.e., Naturstrom, Enerparc, Encavis, PNE and GLS Bank, as well as several associations and consulting firms.

Sönke Tangermann, Board Member of Green Planet Energy eG, warns: “Absurd but true: Instead of stimulating the economy, Minister Reiche is putting the brakes on it. The grid package weakens the renewable energy sector and, with it, Hamburg as a business location. We create thousands of jobs in Hamburg and safeguard our country’s future viability and crisis resilience. We expect the Hamburg CDU to stand up for the preservation of jobs and value creation in our Hanseatic city and to clearly reject the grid package in its current form.”

The criticism is also directed at the different special rules for the nearly 900 distribution grid operators in Germany. In the alliance’s view, these would increase bureaucracy and complexity and lead to higher costs.

Need for reform in digitalization and grid flexibility

Instead of blocking expansion, the companies see a need for reform in the modernization of the grids. Concepts such as “use instead of curtailment,” accelerated storage expansion, and a consistent smart meter rollout could, according to the corporate initiative, increase grid stability, reduce costs, and make the integration of wind and solar energy more efficient.

At the same time as in Hamburg, a Munich-based initiative launched by the company Greentech also published an open letter. The simultaneous publication of the letters in both cities underscores that the criticism of the grid package is not a regional minority view, but is shared by companies in several German business hubs, according to the Hamburg initiative.

Source: IWR Online, 24 Feb 2026