Renewable Energy Industry Day Central Germany 2025
This year’s Renewable Energy Industry Day Central Germany in Dresden was remarkable in several respects. Just weeks after the federal election, representatives from politics, business, and academia came together to discuss the future direction of the energy transition in the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. cruh21 was on site with our expert Barbara Mai, who gathered key insights from the discussions.
Political Positioning
A central takeaway from the event: the energy transition is not merely a technical or economic challenge – it is a societal one. In his keynote speech, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer emphasized that security of supply, affordability, and environmental responsibility must remain central pillars. He called for the energy transition to be "recalculated," with stronger links to industrial value creation and social stability. His message: trust in technological openness and remove the barriers to growth.
Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Minister for Energy in Saxony-Anhalt, highlighted the eastern German states' potential as energy and storage regions. The use of underground caverns for hydrogen storage could play a key role in future system stability.
Systemic Issues: Grids, Markets, Flexibility
The technical forums focused on pressing challenges: slow grid expansion, the evolving electricity market design, and the integration of flexibility and storage. The message was clear: without a system-oriented and market-compatible framework, investments may stall. Dr. Matthias Stark (BEE) and Josephine Steppat (Energy Brainpool) outlined the risks and opportunities of the electricity market reform proposed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
In the forum on flexibility, legal uncertainties were a major issue. Dr. Florian Valentin pointed out that current legislation hampers multi-use storage models, and regulatory uncertainty—particularly regarding storage fees—may persist until 2029.
Societal Acceptance as a Success Factor
One of the highlights of the day was the compelling keynote by Paulina Fröhlich (Das Progressive Zentrum). She argued that the socio-ecological transformation cannot succeed without a vibrant democracy. With rising news fatigue and political fragmentation, there is a growing need for new spaces for dialogue and democratic resilience. Her key message: energy transition and democracy go hand in hand – both require public engagement, accountability, and transparent communication.
This year’s event reaffirmed that the energy transition is a shared priority in Central Germany – from a technical, economic, and political standpoint. The discussions in Dresden reflected both the urgency of the moment and the sector’s determination to collaboratively develop solutions.
From cruh21’s perspective, the coming months will be crucial. The new federal coalition agreement must send clear signals – on storage, grids, market design, and regional value creation. Our experience shows that the solutions already exist – what’s needed now is the legal and planning certainty to implement them.
