Energy Consumption
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Primary energy consumption
The coalition agreement of the "traffic light" government mentioned the goal of climate neutrality by 2045 in several places, and the current federal government is also committed to this goal. This implies a complete phase-out of the use of fossil primary energy sources by 2045. According to data from the AGEB, the consumption of mineral oil, lignite, and hard coal has been declining significantly in recent years. In contrast, natural gas consumption has first increased and then decreased since 1990, with significant annual fluctuations. At the start of the "traffic light" coalition in 2021, fossil primary energy consumption totaled 2,661 TWh, with mineral oil still accounting for the largest share. In 2020, it was somewhat lower due to the pandemic. Assuming a linear reduction path through 2045, fossil primary energy consumption would have to fall by almost 40 percent to below 1,700 TWh by 2030. Consumption declined in each of the years 2022-2024 and is currently slightly below the indicative linear reduction path. In contrast, the share of renewable energies in primary energy consumption has continuously increased.
In addition to the annual data, the [AGEB] (https://ag-energiebilanzen.de/daten-und-fakten/primaerenergieverbrauch/) also provides quarterly updated data on primary energy consumption for the current year. After a significant decline in 2024, fossil primary energy consumption rose slightly again in the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of the previous year. Natural gas consumption increased particularly significantly. Lignite consumption, in contrast, continued to decline.