Windfall profits of German electricity producers in the second phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (2008-2012)

The analysis covers the five largest German electricity production companies: E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall Europe, Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) and Evonik Steag as well as the electricity production of these companies in Germany. The windfall profits of these companies on other European sub-markets are therefore not taken into account in the following analysis.

The goal of the analysis is, amongst other things, to determine the share of the total windfall profits that stems from the free allocation of emission allowances, the continuation of which for the time period after 2012 is currently being vehemently called for by German electricity producers (amongst others). In this way, the question of the scale of the profit orientation that lies behind the demand for free allocation of CO₂ allowances can also be pursued.