German solar industry association sees majority against planned revenue absorption

According to a survey commissioned by the German Solar Industry Association (BSW Solar) from opinion research company YouGov, a majority of the population opposes the German government‘s plans for financing the »electricity price brake«. Its financing is to come in part from the absorption of marketing revenues from trading in electricity yields from large renewable energy plants (from 1 megawatt). According to a BSW press release, a majority of those surveyed are in favor of the electricity price brake, but »reject the planned form of its financing by means of a comprehensive levy on the revenues of renewable energy operators.«
Of the 24 percent of respondents, 24 percent had no opinion at all on the question posed, the exact wording of which BSW did not publish. 26 percent were in favor of counter-financing the electricity price brake from general tax revenue, 35 percent were in favor of financing it through skimmed »windfall profits« of the operators of nuclear and coal-fired power plants (the revenues or sales – not the profits – of nuclear and lignite-fired power plants are also to be skimmed off according to the plans of the German government). 20 percent favored a solution advocated by BSW and other renewable energy associations of a »moderate special levy or tax on all energy producers on a portion of the profits.« Almost as many – 19 percent – are in favor of a »comprehensive revenue skimming for operators of all renewable energy as well as nuclear and coal-fired power plants.«
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