AG Energy Balances: Energy consumption fell sharply in 2023

The Energy Balances Working Group (AG Energy Balances) expects energy consumption to be 7.9 percent lower at 2,998 TWh in 2023. In the original press release, the value was put at 10,791 petajoules, but was converted to TWh to make it easier to compare with the other solar server reports. This means that the consumption of primary energies in Germany is more than a quarter below the previous high of 1990, said the AG Energy Balances.

However, the reason for the reduced energy consumption in 2023 is less encouraging. The decline is primarily due to the declining economic performance in Germany. The energy-intensive industries in particular recorded declines in production. The weather was also a little warmer than last year, but this only played a smaller role. Adjusted for weather conditions, energy consumption would have been reduced by around 7.4 percent.

The only effect that increased consumption in 2023 came from demographic developments. The total population grew due to immigration by 1.35 million to almost 85.5 million people.

The Renewable Energy Statistics Working Group (AGEE Stat) of the Federal Environment Agency has already presented its first evaluation for 2023. The Energy Balances AG, on the other hand, belongs to the Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry.