Why is this a decisive moment for the energy transition in Germany and Europe?
We are at a crossroads. A dangerous narrative is gaining traction: that the expansion of renewables is "too fast". That is nonsense. We are not slowing down today because we have gone too far, but because we are managing the failures of the past two decades. Germany is carrying a massive investment backlog in grids and digitalisation, which is now becoming a brake on modernisation.
It is a mistake to demand that renewables adapt to an outdated system. The opposite is true. We must finally make the system fit for the cheapest energy sources we have. Anyone slowing the pace now is jeopardising our economic base and our security. We do not need a moratorium. We need an investment turbo for a modern, resilient and flexible renewable energy system.
To what extent is this year's The smarter E Europe, with its special exhibition, a response to existing counter-narratives?
Our "Renewables 24/7" special exhibition is the reality check for the current debate. While sceptics warn of intermittent supply and dark doldrums, we are providing the counter-evidence. We are showing that an energy system based on renewable sources works reliably, economically and around the clock.
In Munich, we are not presenting dry theory but market-ready technology. We guide visitors through four themed worlds: industry, commerce, residential and mobility. Here it becomes tangible how generation, storage and intelligent digitalisation interlock seamlessly. We examine the challenges of volatility and present the solutions that companies and utilities are already using to address them with confidence.
Intersolar and ees Europe 2026: scaling storage to meet EU ambitions
Around 2,800 exhibitors underline the point: the new energy world is no longer new but has long been reality. We are sending a clear signal against the fear of deindustrialisation. The energy transition is the biggest modernisation engine for Europe. Anyone clinging stubbornly to fossil technologies is risking their long-term viability. We are proving that renewable and decentralised systems are more efficient and more cost-effective. In Munich, we show the way to technological sovereignty and competitiveness.
What role do municipal utilities and energy suppliers play in the integrated energy and transport transition?
The current global situation shows us unmistakably the price of fossil dependency: Germany spends an average of around €81 billion every year on net imports of oil, gas and coal. This enormous outflow of funds continuously drains capital from our economy that we urgently need for our own transformation. Our goal must be to stop this transfer of wealth and bring value creation back to the regions. Every euro we invest in domestic infrastructure pays into our independence and stabilises the local economic cycle.
In this context, municipal utilities and energy suppliers can strengthen regional resilience and play a key role. They are evolving from pure suppliers into intelligent energy service providers. Through sector coupling, they bring together electricity, heat and transport in one efficient overall system. This is giving rise to promising business models.
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Through the intelligent networking of generation assets, storage systems and electric mobility, they make a decisive contribution to grid stability while also tapping attractive revenue potential on the flexibility markets. Heat-as-a-service opens up local sources such as geothermal energy or industrial waste heat. And regional energy sharing keeps electricity directly where it is generated.
By investing in local technology and skilled workers instead of pouring billions into fossil imports, we secure the location for the long term. For utilities, this shift is far more than an environmental task. It opens up attractive new business areas and forms the foundation for long-term economic success.
Do you have special offerings for this audience at the Munich trade fair?
Absolutely. In Munich, we are once again turning them into active shapers of the transition. In the Utility Lounge at the East Entrance, we offer an exclusive space for strategic partnerships away from the bustle of the trade fair. Our new Utility Peer Exchange format is particularly important. Here, professionals discuss the real sticking points on equal terms: fast grid connections, large-scale storage and vehicle-to-grid.
In our Bidirectional Zone, we also show concretely how electric cars can serve as rolling storage to strengthen regional security of supply and act as a flexible resource for a stable power grid.
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Anyone looking for direct guidance can use our Utility Guided Tours. We take decision-makers straight to the solutions for their pain points, from cybersecurity to smart grids. In Munich, municipal utilities and energy suppliers will find everything they need for the shift to becoming an innovative energy service provider. The solutions are ready. We just need to use them.
Interview by Hans-Christoph Neidlein
First published on www.zfk.de
