Germany: Energy and Natural Resources

Germany's Federal Government has introduced a draft bill that explicitly places fusion facilities—including laser fusion plants—under the Radiation Protection Act rather than the more stringent Atomic Energy Act.

The European Patent Office's Technical Board of Appeal examined whether an energy optimization system for facilities participating in capacity market programs involves patentable technical features. The Board considered whether optimizing resource allocation based on dispatch probability, raw baselines, and CMP-specific constraints constitutes technical innovation or merely financial optimization driven by contractual obligations and profit maximization.

Germany's Federal Network Agency has clarified how battery energy storage systems will be treated under the country's grid fee reform, preserving exemptions for existing and near-term projects while establishing a moderate fee structure for future developments.

The European Patent Office's Technical Board of Appeal examined whether an energy optimization system for facilities participating in capacity market programs involves patentable technical features. The Board considered whether optimizing resource allocation based on dispatch probability, raw baselines, and CMP-specific constraints constitutes technical innovation or merely financial optimization driven by contractual obligations and profit maximization.

Between €0.30 and €0.50 more per liter at the gas station within just a few weeks: the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a price development in many countries around the world on a scale last seen...

In its draft law of April 20, 2026, the Federal Government is presenting its proposal to transpose the Gas and Hydrogen Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1788) into national law.

Following the release of an initial unofficial draft version of the reform of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act 2027 (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, EEG) in February 2026...

A German court has ruled that decommissioning bonds for onshore wind turbines must cover both above-ground and underground installations, including pile foundations, with removal required even in water protection areas unless demonstrably disproportionate.

Germany’s framework for allocating transmission grid connections is undergoing a fundamental shift.