HB BERLIN. Federal Environment Minister Röttgen worries. "We’re in some regions at the frontier of network stability," says the CDU politician. Only slowly dawns on the people that the dream does not work at least 80 percent green electricity by 2050 without its own victims. The green energy industry fears that without their networks more and more wind turbines and solar plants are shut down.

To get the wind power from the coast to the south and around everywhere to feed solar electricity produced in Germany, new energy highways, but also intelligent networks needed. You need more flexible than today respond to the fluctuating supply and the daily changing electricity consumption. The state with the German systems would be something like this, as if one would use in the telecommunications or the rotary dial, said a government official.

But citizens’ groups were raised in many places in the country across the network expansion. They warn of an increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s by the magnetic fields from power lines. And of course, from damage to nature. Can such a new power line running through a biosphere reserve by the Uckermark, the home of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) or the Rennsteig in Thuringia.

In government circles is warned to guard against many small Stuttgart 21. Without new networks, it will give more nuclear and coal power. Also, the citizen must participate if the eco-energy transition to become a reality, says Merkel.

With the massive growth in solar power generation might lead to the German Energy Agency (dena) in the coming year will be covered in strong sunny days of the German electricity demand of 30 gigawatts only by solar power. From 50 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, according to dena-chief Stephan Kohler, the situation barely under control. Early as 2013 could be so far.

But before there is a network collapse, a provision allowed in the Energy Act shut down of wind or photovoltaic systems. The German Environmental Aid Association sees this as primarily a vehicle for the expansion of green energy specifically to show the red card and to use the alleged threat as a pretext network stability.

An RWE spokesman stressed that shutdowns occur only as a last resort in question, not the problem solved. "While conventional power almost always sufficient capacity or scope – buffer, gave the networks today are often packed, so to speak." As that the failure of a line more far-reaching implications. The network operator Amprion, a subsidiary of RWE, build 2020, some 800 kilometers of new lines. Specifically for capital to put in network expansion in Germany, are more attractive investment conditions necessary stresses RWE.

By 2020, according to new estimates dena-used up to 3500 kilometers of new pipelines to transport even at the wind power from the coast. Are built only 90 kilometers. Not everyone will want to have 380-kv power lines with up to 60 meters high poles near his house.

Citizen initiatives to emphasize the energy companies would use the resistors as the argument that the development will not go. In truth, they wanted it over the term extension of an average of twelve years is to nuclear power is even longer.

As an alternative, the opponents also proposed underground cable. "This alternative is four to ten times more expensive than an overhead line," it says at RWE. What is also often forgotten: it must not simply a cable to be buried in the ground, but by vast forests must be beaten paths. And with margins be switched off the power and the trench are presented.

Moreover, in Germany in the maximum voltage range on little experience in the operation of underground cables available. From 2015, RWE will earn a pilot project on track Meppen-Niederrhein experiences. Eon also emphasized that the underground cable section is new.

A solution could come just from Deutsche Bahn. In the transport ministry and the web is considered to increase power poles in some railway-owned power lines by up to 15 feet, to make room for additional DC power cable with a capacity of up to 500 kilovolts. This is how the construction of new overhead power lines are significantly reduced, at least in some regions. But no matter what solution there is a large blackout in the near future would roll up the debate on nuclear and green again. Then the nuclear proponents have a new trump card.