Strom grids: Why Friedrich Merz absolutely has to buy them back

The energy group RWE wants to sell its 25 percent share to the power grid operator Amprion. The first bid round is now starting. State and pension funds from all over the world should show interest, for example from Canada, Norway or the Netherlands. Even Qatar think about an introduction.

What happens to the public in the half -darkness must not be. The electricity transmission networks are systematic like no other technical facility. They not only ensure bright, warm living rooms, full e-car batteries and a (reasonably) functioning train traffic. They also supply the entire industry that ensures our prosperity with vital energy. So they are part of the provision of services and belong in the possession of the people, i.e. the state.

This requirement has not only existed since today. However, at the latest since the Russians’ hybrid attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure, the last doubters have to be clear how elementary power grids are for society and industry. Nationwide they have to work perfectly, protected and quickly expanded to adapt them to the desired decentralized generation of green electricity. The Energy Economic Institute at the University of Cologne (EWI) assessed the investment needs by 2045 at 430 billion euros. The money must be flowed.

German electricity consumers are already paying a high price for the network via the network charges in the electricity price. Some experts criticize a too high, because the profits of the network operators were far too abundant. Studies that advise nationalization show what positive consequences they would have for small and large consumers. The state does not have to make profits in the networks, not a short -term long -term, it only has to prevent losses. So he can better control the height of the network charges. After all, investment security increases, because a state can easily accept and spend more money on very long -term investments that may only pay off after decades.

Above all, security and network stability would also improve. The energy transition would be accelerated that one would be independent of the financial mood of foreign investors. In addition, there would no longer be any conflicts of interest such as today, when a group like RWE produces electricity in both fossil large power plants and therefore wants to sell its dirty energy over the power motorways, which should actually be kept free for green electricity.

Unfortunately, politics has missed some chance of access in recent years and at most acquired minority investments. Most recently, the former finance minister Christian Lindner (FDP) prevents Tennet from purchasing Tennet, which currently belongs to the Netherlands and does the important north-south-current route. The neighbors like to take profits on their 14,000 km long electricity motorway, but are increasingly losing the desire to manage the necessary billion dollar investments. Hague still wants to get rid of the network. Actually, Germany would have to strike immediately through the special fund (if it comes) – the country would not be quite unable to act.

The return of the networks should be declared one of the major structural reforms of a new federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The coalition should fix this goal in its contract. The times are not bad. Because even if there are already interest in the RWE Tennet share, it is difficult for network operators to find investors for a long time. That should press the purchase price for the networks.