German Power Costs to Rise as Renewable Subsidy Leaps

German power users face higher prices in 2011 as record installations of solar panels will help spark a 72 percent increase in surcharges for renewable energy.

Electricity consumers will pay an extra 3.53 euro cents (5 U.S. cents) per kilowatt-hour of consumed power in 2011 to subsidize renewable-energy generation, the country’s four high- voltage power grid operators said today in an e-mailed statement. That compares with 2.05 euro cents this year.