Energy Prices

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Electricity market: Commission considers expansion of revenue limitation
The reform of the electricity market will apparently also include rates regulation for consumers and improved market supervision. This is revealed by a document accompanying the Commission's consultation, which continues to be delayed. continue reading →
German industry criticizes gas price cap
The energy sector and industry criticize the looming decision on the gas price cap (Europe.Table reported). “There are reports that ICE, as the most important exchange for gas trading in Europe, would raise security deposits by up to 80 percent if the price cap is passed,” Ingbert Liebing, CEO of VKU, said yesterday. “This would […] continue reading →
Showdown over gas price cap
The decision on the gas price cap will be made in the Council today. Yesterday night, the EU ambassadors worked on reaching an agreement once more. Also at stake are the joint purchase of gas and the rapid expansion of renewables. Meanwhile, the IEA is calling for significantly greater savings. continue reading →
Warning against low EU gas price cap
Six EU countries – Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Estonia and Luxembourg – have sent an email warning other member states against attempts to impose an even lower gas price cap. “We are concerned about the lowering of the figures,” the email to the Czech EU Presidency, obtained by Reuters, reads. The skeptics fear that […] continue reading →
Council wants flexible gas price cap
The EU member states want to place a tighter limit on the European gas price while allowing an automatic, daily increase in the price cap. On the one hand, the limit for bids is to be lowered further – to €220. That’s according to the Czech presidency’s second revision, which was available to Europe.Table yesterday. […] continue reading →
Council wants to expand gas price cap
The EU member states want to lower the requirements for the gas price cap and thus ensure that extraordinarily high prices such as those of last August do not happen again. Therefore, the market correction mechanism is to be triggered as soon as TTF derivatives are traded for more than 264 euros for five trading […] continue reading →
EU decides on $60 price cap for Russian oil
According to diplomats, the EU states have agreed on a price cap of $60 per barrel for Russian oil transported by sea. With an adjustment mechanism, the cap should also always be kept at five percent below the market price, an EU diplomat told the Reuters news agency. Poland, which has insisted on the lowest […] continue reading →
Berlin defends electricity market
In the European debate on a new electricity market design, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs sees no major need for reform of the spot market. “Basically, the short-term electricity market is working,” said the head of the electricity department at the BMWK, Volker Oschmann, in Berlin yesterday. At most, small, “evolutionary” improvements would […] continue reading →
Electricity price brake: many companies pay less than in 2021
The German government wants to ease the burden on companies regarding the crisis-related rise in energy costs – at least that is the official justification. But calculations show that many companies are paying less than before the crisis. This could once again draw criticism from EU partners. continue reading →
Simson signals concession on gas price cap
The Commission could take action against excessive gas prices more quickly than it announced in its draft legislation of November 22. This was indicated yesterday by Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson in the Parliament’s Industry Committee. According to the draft, the gas price at the TTF trading point is to be capped only when it has […] continue reading →
Energy expert Goldthau: ‘We will not return to a fully liberalized energy market’
The current crisis has permanently changed the European energy market, says energy and geopolitics expert Andreas Goldthau. Not only in the short term, but also in the future, more state intervention is to be expected. But the current crisis also offers opportunities, he states. continue reading →
Gas price cap on the verge of a breakthrough
Proponents of the gas price cap have prevailed. The Council will not adopt the emergency gas regulation and the renewables booster until there is a package deal with the Market Correction Mechanism. continue reading →
EU threatened with permanent dispute over gas price cap
The Commission agreed on a value for the gas price cap, which should amount to €275. However, this value could become a permanent political pawn among the member states. The reason is a new clause in the draft that the Commission officially presented yesterday, which was not yet included in the leak that Europe.Table had […] continue reading →
Christiane Barth – in Brussels for municipal utilities
Christiane Barth actually wanted to become a journalist. She studied political science and English in Mannheim, worked for the Allgemeine Zeitung, and interned at the Süddeutsche Zeitung and ZDF. But during an internship with MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, she was gripped by enthusiasm. “Brussels is a very young, international and dynamic environment,” Barth says. “It didn’t […] continue reading →
German LNG terminals cost more than twice as much
Acquisition and maintenance of floating liquefied natural gas terminals will cost Germany at least €3.5 billion more than planned. A total of around €6.56 billion in budget funds is currently earmarked, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs said on Sunday. In the budget for 2022, €2.94 billion had still been budgeted. The increase was “necessary […] continue reading →
Here’s how the gas price cap is supposed to work
The European cap on gas trading is to apply to only part of the market, according to new key points from the Commission. In it, the executive claims the power to suspend the price limit at any time. To appease the Council, however, there are already building blocks for a legislative text. continue reading →
Gas price cap: Von der Leyen appeals to EU states
On the gas price cap, the dispute between the Commission and member states is coming to a head. “We look forward to your active participation to ensure the adoption of the latest urgent proposals by the Energy Council to stabilize energy markets […] and get us safely through this difficult winter and the next,” writes […] continue reading →
Commission emphasizes Turkey’s strategic role in gas supply
When it comes to securing Europe’s gas supply, the Commission wants to focus more on transit countries. “In terms of security of supply, developing the mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey could be a very important priority,” DG Energy Deputy Director General Matthew Baldwin told ITRE on Monday night. He said the EU must keep in […] continue reading →