Germany’s U-turn in Energy Policy: How Will It Affect the Market?

In Germany the performance of opening the electricity markets proves to be poor. While the sector’s productivity nearly doubled, the customers were left out in the cold. In actuality, the generated redistribution mass remained in the firms. There, the management used the threat of competition as an instrument for rationalisation and for the moderation of wage growth, while it simultaneously and successfully made an effort to circumvent the market competition. In the end, due to the established oligopolistic structures profits approximately quadrupled. However, at present there are indicators for a change in the market structures, brought about by a new political framework and the U-turn in Germany’s Energy Policies in the aftermath of Fukushima. This paper will analyse the market’s development based on the most recent data from Germany’s industry statistics. It also aims at explaining these findings and discussing the structural effects of the new environment.