The RES special account is expected to end the year just inside surplus territory, below the 70 million-euro level established as a safety net for coverage of extraordinary circumstances so as to ensure the account’s ongoing ability to remunerate renewable energy producers.

The account’s tighter financial standing has resulted from the drastic reduction in its share of CO2 emission right auction revenues, now down to 7 percent from 75 percent, to enable greater support for the Energy Transition Fund, which has been resorted to by the government to compensate electricity suppliers for subsidized electricity bills.

Latest complications in the the licensing procedure for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline running directly from Russia to Germany through the North Sea appear set to push electricity price levels even higher in coming weeks. This may force the government to further increase electricity subsidies for December consumption, over a monthly level of 39 euros per household previously decided on for November and December.