20 years ago - a look back at politics, society and energy
We have been writing newsletters for our customers for many years. We have therefore rummaged through our archives and would like to regularly offer you exciting and amusing reviews of the energy industry and Germany 20 years ago.
March 2025
A look back shows how rapidly the energy sector has changed in two decades. Let's take a look at the development together - and at what moved the energy industry in 2005.
- Chancellor Gerhard Schröder lost the vote of confidence in September 2005, triggering new elections that led to a grand coalition between the CDU and SPD.
- Angela Merkel became the first female head of government in Germany.
- After the death of Pope John Paul II, we became Pope with Joseph Ratzinger (at least according to the Bild newspaper).
- The reconstruction of Dresden's Frauenkirche was completed after its destruction in the Second World War.
- The avian flu virus H5N1 reached Europe and Germany imposed a compulsory caging of poultry.
2005 was also a decisive year in the energy industry - with figures that seem almost unimaginable today.
- The base price for the following year was quoted at around EUR 35/MWh in mid-March 2005, while the CO2 price for the following year was around EUR 11.80/tonne.
- The installed PV capacity was just over 2,000 MWp - at the end of 2024, the total installed PV capacity was 99,300 MWp.
- Installed wind capacity (only onshore, offshore did not yet exist!) was just over 18,250 MW - at the end of 2024, installed wind capacity totalled 63,500 MW onshore and 9,200 MW offshore.
- The share of renewable energies in gross electricity consumption was 10.3 per cent in 2005.
Want to know more? We have selected a 20-year-old newsletter for you and hope you enjoy diving back into the past.
<a class="button">Download newsletter from March 2005</a>
But what was the situation in May 2005?
In May and June 2005, the base for the calendar year 2006 was around EUR 40/MWh with fluctuations of +/- EUR 2/MWh. In May 2025, the closing prices of the Cal 2026 base averaged approx. EUR 87/MWh with a fluctuation range of +/- 3 euros/MWh.
The EUAs cost approx. EUR 22 /t in May 2005 and approx. EUR 72/t in May 2025.
In May 2005, the availability of German nuclear power plants was 100% at 21,255 MW. Today, the share of German nuclear power plants in the electricity mix is 0%!