Boris P. Paal

An important aim behind the restructuring of Germany’s and Europe’s electricity systems is to reduce the environmental burden, especially with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, of the current systems. Emissions must be brought down to a level that is sustainable in the long run and consistent with greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Meeting these goals will require a system (as best as current knowledge suggests) that will be able to cope simultaneously with the fundamental demands for economic efficiency, environmental sustainability and supply security. Making use of existing scenarios, this study sketches such a system. It focuses in particular on auxiliary systems such as energy storage methods and network extensions. The study introduces technologies that can balance electricity in energy systems and that can serve as enabling technologies for the integration of large quantities of renewable energies in the power supply system. It begins with a discussion of normativeaims for the future electricity system before continuing with a description of current policies and political developments and an overview of relevant existing energy system studies. These sections serve as background for the remainder of the study. They are followed by discussion and analysis of the growing demand for means to balance the fluctuations found in electricity generated in power systems with a high penetration of renewable energies, the potentials of diverse technologies, requirements for electrical networks, economic impacts and important legal issues. Finally, the main challenges to the achievement of developing balancing technologies and processes for renewable electricity-dominant systems are summarised and recommendations made.

An important aim behind the restructuring of Germany’s and Europe’s electricity systems is to reduce the environmental burden, especially with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, of the current systems. Emissions must be brought down to a level that is sustainable in the long run and consistent with greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Meeting these goals will require a system (as best as current knowledge suggests) that will be able to cope simultaneously with the fundamental demands for economic efficiency, environmental sustainability and supply security. Making use of existing scenarios, this study sketches such a system. It focuses in particular on auxiliary systems such as energy storage methods and network extensions. The study introduces technologies that can balance electricity in energy systems and that can serve as enabling technologies for the integration of large quantities of renewable energies in the power supply system. It begins with a discussion of normativeaims for the future electricity system before continuing with a description of current policies and political developments and an overview of relevant existing energy system studies. These sections serve as background for the remainder of the study. They are followed by discussion and analysis of the growing demand for means to balance the fluctuations found in electricity generated in power systems with a high penetration of renewable energies, the potentials of diverse technologies, requirements for electrical networks, economic impacts and important legal issues. Finally, the main challenges to the achievement of developing balancing technologies and processes for renewable electricity-dominant systems are summarised and recommendations made.

Boris P. Paal untersucht, welchen Beitrag das Wettbewerbsrecht zur Sicherung einer Vielfalt von Meinungen und Medien erbringen kann. Seine Untersuchung steht in einem größeren Zusammenhang mit der auf nationaler und europäischer Ebene zunehmend thematisierten Sicherung von Medienvielfalt als einer elementaren Voraussetzung der Meinungsfreiheit in demokratischen Zivilgesellschaften. Im Wege einer interdisziplinären Analyse geht der Autor der Frage nach, ob und inwieweit die Selbststeuerungskräfte des wettbewerblichen Auswahl- und Entdeckungsverfahrens zum Zwecke der angestrebten Sicherung von Vielfalt im Medienbereich fruchtbar gemacht werden können. Er analysiert die rechtstatsächlichen Rahmenbedingungen, untersucht den bestehenden wettbewerbsrechtlichen Ordnungsrahmen und entwickelt konkrete Vorschläge zur Fortentwicklung der Rechtslage sowie der Rechtsanwendung.