German power market outlook

This month marks the one-year anniversary of Germany announcing its intention to abandon nuclear power. Since then a number of fundamental shifts have occurred in the German power market, which are expected to impact prices during the year. Jay Maroo reports

In May 2011, German chancellor Angela Merkel announced the country would terminate all its nuclear activities by 2022. Some had thought the country would struggle to cope with the reduction in supply and as a result expected power prices to increase. However, one year on, German power prices continue to tumble. Experts say the impact of an increase in renewables generation in conjunction with a poor demand outlook means hedgers and traders will need to be wary of a number of price dynamics in