Energy transformation

The roll-out of smart meters needs to happen as quickly as possible. We assist in the selection and drafting of contracts with suppliers and service providers and work with cooperation partners to find suitable providers for customers and to design technical solutions and models.

Greenhouse gas neutrality requires the transformation of all emitting sectors, including the transport sector. In addition to modal shift and traffic avoidance, the internal combustion engine will be replaced by electric motors in passenger cars, medium commercial vehicles and public transport. The infrastructure is currently being developed. 

We advise mobility service providers and operators of charging infrastructure as well as demand-side project and district companies, property managers and large customers on the procurement and development of charging infrastructure and on the use and marketing of GHG quotas.

Regulatory law and subsidies are the pillars of transformation. As with energy regulatory law, we advise our clients on the complex web of benefits and incentives that encompasses almost all energy laws and regulations. We know the details of the regulatory requirements and possible benefits for activities and projects, and we find a solution for our clients that benefits both sides of the transition.

Utilising the GHG quota can generate additional revenue. We can help you understand the regulatory framework and how to market and generate revenue from the quota. We help bundlers draft and implement GHG quota transfer and brokerage agreements.

The EEG is the central element in the promotion of renewable energy. In addition, the EnUG and the GEG contain indirect subsidy regulations which determine the demand for renewable energies. We advise on the selection of suitable support constellations, feed-in with support, realisation without support, different categories of support, tendering and marketing.

Like the GEIG, the GEG represents a transformation of the building sector. We advise our clients on the requirements of the GEG, the supply of renewable energy to properties, replacement measures, PEF offsetting and how to meet efficiency standards.

The supply of buildings brings together a number of energy law issues. It is influenced by the efficiency requirements of the GEG, the need for at least part of the supply to come from renewable energy, the security of supply of heat and electricity and, where available, the metering and processing of decentralised generation and the consumption values of the users.

We advise on the supply of neighbourhoods and properties by selecting appropriate supply solutions through distributed generation and/or third party procurement. We also advise on the procurement and development of appropriate metering and sub-metering infrastructure.

Utility supply is closely linked to contracting. Energy efficiency and the increasing use of renewable energy as well as the changing environment for metering will influence contracting, create new services and bring new requirements. Taking into account the legal environment, we select suitable models and support the contractual implementation.

Energy storage is a key component of the transformation. Storage can be pumped storage, underground gas storage, batteries or electrolysers. As diverse as storage systems are, so are the regulatory frameworks that govern them. They are subsidised by a complex set of regulations, for example as thermal storage under the Combined Heat and Power Act (KWKG), as electricity storage through concessions in grid fees and in the case of costs imposed by the state, such as grid levies. We can assist you with the regulatory categorisation of the storage facility, such as the marketing of the capacity and the design as a producer and consumer or for smoothing profiles and offering flexibility.

Through state aid law, the EU Commission monitors compliance with the internal (energy) market without distorting national support measures or barriers. The EU Commission's guidelines on state aid for climate, environment and energy (KUEBLL) are particularly important in the energy sector. We categorise the support sought for individual projects within the aid framework and show whether it is permissible, if not under KUEBLL, then possibly as de minimis or on the basis of other exemptions

Fossil fuels are being replaced by renewable energy sources. The direct use of electrical energy is not technically and/or economically feasible in all processes and applications. The use of hydrogen or gaseous renewable energy sources (RFNBOs) is becoming necessary in the fields of air, sea and heavy-duty transport, as well as in energy-intensive industries. Hydrogen is an energy source that has not yet played a significant role in energy supply. The infrastructure for production, storage and transport needs to be developed in line with the transformation of the gas infrastructure and the expansion of renewable energies. We advise on grid connection and grid access for storage and electrolysers. We also support the development of gas infrastructure as part of the transition.

We advise on all three forms of direct marketing: subsidised direct marketing under the EEG, direct supply in a geographical context and direct marketing without subsidies in the form of other direct marketing (also known as PPA). We assist operators, purchasers, intermediaries and traders in the design of master templates and in the negotiation and selection of the possible forms of marketing.

PPAs refer to other forms of direct marketing, whether under the EEG or completely outside the EEG. Sometimes direct supply is also referred to as such on the market. We advise operators or purchasers, intermediaries and wholesalers on the selection of appropriate contracts and also combine different contract forms for our clients, from purely financial/virtual to physical via a direct line from producer to consumer.

Neighbourhood development raises many energy law issues, as the neighbourhood requires electrical, thermal and kinetic energy. We advise on the development of appropriate supply solutions through distributed generation, third party procurement, in-house procurement and the development of appropriate infrastructure.

We can advise you on all issues relating to national and European regulations for guarantees of origin. Guarantees of origin are important to prove the renewable nature of electricity and gaseous energy sources such as biomethane, biogas and hydrogen. We advise on the procurement and sale of guarantees of origin through wholesale contracts, both financial and physical. We assist with hedging transactions and regulatory issues relating to registration, transfer, issuance, recognition and cancellation. We continue to monitor regulatory developments for our clients with a view to the harmonisation and standardisation of guarantees of origin.