Bonn, November 26, 2025 — Germany’s Bundeskartellamt and Federal Network Agency said in their joint 2025 monitoring report that electricity and gas markets remained resilient through 2024. However, the authorities cautioned that tightening conventional generation capacity is amplifying the influence of the country’s largest power producers.
Market Conditions
The authorities said the long-running separation of generation, networks, and retail has created a competitive retail environment, with households able to choose among 139 electricity suppliers and 108 gas suppliers in 2024. Neither market has featured a dominant supplier for more than a decade.
Regulators noted that the share of customers on default tariffs continues to fall, dropping to about 22% in electricity and 16% in gas.
Wholesale Dynamics and Capacity Issues
Wholesale prices eased due to high liquidity and lower fuel costs, and investigations into sharp price spikes during “dark doldrum” periods did not reveal abusive conduct. Yet the authorities warned that Germany’s shrinking base of conventional capacity is heightening the importance of remaining assets, increasing the structural market power of the largest producers. RWE and the four other biggest companies collectively accounted for about 55%of conventional output in 2024.
Gas Market Evolution
Germany’s gas market has undergone significant structural change since the country ceased importing Russian pipeline gas, with the system now functioning as a European hub oriented toward LNG and Nordic supply. While retail competition has strengthened, concentration in gas storage remains high.
Transition in Generation
Renewables supplied 54% of gross electricity consumption in 2024, a dramatic increase since 2005. Coal-fired output fell sharply, driven by plant closures and more renewable generation. Solar, hydro, and offshore wind output all rose, while onshore wind declined slightly due to weaker autumn conditions.
