On August 6, the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) published the draft determination for the new grid fee system AgNes. The proposal envisages a fundamental change to the grid tariff methodology for electricity grid customers and is intended to create incentives for more flexible consumption behavior.

For industrial companies in particular, AgNes represents a paradigm shift: in the future, grid fees will no longer be determined primarily by the maximum peak load. Instead, the strategic selection of an appropriate contracted capacity will become the key factor.

New Grid Fee Structure

The current system of demand charges and energy charges is to be replaced by three new components:

1. Capacity charge based on the annually contracted capacity (at least 10% of the grid connection capacity)
2. Energy charge 1 for electricity consumption within the contracted capacity
3. Energy charge 2 for consumption exceeding the contracted capacity, which is expected to be significantly higher, at 200% to 350% of the standard energy charge

Under this new structure, companies will be rewarded more strongly for carefully planning their capacity requirements and making efficient use of available flexibility.

Optimal Contracted Capacity Becomes the Decisive Factor

Initial analyses by E-Bridge show that the economically optimal contracted capacity does not necessarily have to correspond to a company’s historical peak load. Particularly in the case of volatile load profiles, it may be economically advantageous to choose a lower contracted capacity and accept occasional exceedances.

As a result, future grid fee costs will be influenced much more by the chosen capacity strategy than by the sole objective of avoiding individual peak loads.

Preparing for AgNes Early

The new system is currently scheduled to take effect in 2029. Companies should use the remaining time to assess the impact on their consumption and cost structures as early as possible.

This includes, in particular:

1. Assessing the individual implications of AgNes
2. Analyzing load profiles to determine the economically optimal contracted capacity
3. Identifying and utilizing flexibility options, such as battery storage systems or flexible loads

Early preparation can help unlock economic potential and optimize future grid fee costs in a targeted manner.

Would you like to understand how AgNes could affect your company? Our experts are happy to support you.

Gerald Blumberg, Dr. Christina Kockel, and Christopher Kneip are available to discuss the topic with you.