Results of the discussions concerning the adjustment of the German feed-in tariff

On 9 July 2010, the lengthy discussions concerning the adjustment of the feed-in tariff in Germany came to an end. It was approved by the Bundesrat (German Federal Council) only one day before the Bundestag (German Federal Parliament) accepted the proposal of the convened conciliation committee. The new compromise provides for a two-step reduction in solar energy funding. In the first step a retroactive cut from 1 July 2010 takes place, which is three percent less for each technology than originally proposed by the Bundestag. In the second step, the feed-in tariffs, valid since 1 July 2010, will be cut by an additional three percentage points for PV plants commissioned from 1 October 2010 onwards. In addition, solar plants installed on arable land will receive no funding whatsoever.