Battery Report Delay: German Regulator Misses EU Storage Study Deadline

As of March 20, 2025, the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has yet to release its long-awaited national battery report – a key component of the European Union’s broader study on strengthening energy storage across the bloc. The missed deadline raises questions about the pace of Germany’s energy transition and its ability to integrate storage into future power plant planning.

The European Commission launched the EU-wide study months ago with the goal of identifying policy gaps, grid integration challenges, and investment opportunities for stationary battery storage. Member states were expected to submit national reports by an agreed-upon deadline to inform the final recommendations. Germany, as Europe’s largest economy and a leader in renewable energy deployment, was seen as a critical contributor. Yet the Bundesnetzagentur has not published its findings, nor has it provided an official explanation for the delay.

Industry insiders suspect the postponement is tied to ongoing internal debates about the role of battery storage in Germany’s “Kraftwerksstrategie” (power plant strategy). Preliminary results from the delayed report were expected to influence the design of future gas-fired power plants and their ability to operate flexibly alongside renewable sources. Without the data, policymakers in Berlin may be forced to move forward with incomplete information, potentially leading to suboptimal investment decisions.

“The timing of the report is critical,” said Dr. Anna Müller, energy policy expert at the Berlin-based think tank Agora Energiewende. “Germany is currently reshaping its entire power plant fleet. Battery storage can reduce the need for new gas plants by providing short-term flexibility. But without hard data, we risk overbuilding fossil capacity that locks in emissions for decades.”

The delay comes at a time when the EU is accelerating its push for energy storage as a pillar of the Green Deal and REPowerEU plan. The Commission has set a target of 200 GW of storage by 2030, up from roughly 60 GW today. Member states are expected to include storage-friendly regulations in their updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). Germany’s missing report could weaken the EU’s ability to set realistic benchmarks.

Meanwhile, the United States has been charging ahead on battery storage. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the country added a record 8.5 GW of utility-scale battery capacity in 2024, bringing total operational storage to over 20 GW. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has also issued Order 2023, which streamlines interconnection for storage projects. In contrast, Germany added only 1.2 GW of large-scale battery storage last year, according to data from the German Solar Association (BSW).

“The contrast is striking,” said Mark Johnson, senior analyst at BloombergNEF. “The U.S. has a clear market framework with investment tax credits and competitive wholesale markets that reward storage for fast response. Germany, despite its renewable ambitions, still treats storage as a niche technology. The regulatory inertia is a red flag for investors.”

The Bundesnetzagentur has not set a new publication date for the battery report. A spokesperson declined to comment, citing ongoing internal review. The European Commission, when asked, said it “remains in close contact with German authorities” but did not disclose any consequences for missing the deadline.

Stakeholders are now calling for greater transparency. The German Energy Storage Association (BVES) sent a letter to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) urging the government to prioritize the report and align it with the upcoming power plant law. “Every month of delay costs us time and money,” said BVES managing director Ursula Schäfer. “Storage is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for a renewables