Climate change and, most recently, Russia's invasion of Ukraine have plunged energy policy in crisis. In order to become independent of Russian oil and gas, numerous countries are currently putting their energy and climate policies on the test bench. Alternatives are needed. Times have never been more promising for founders in the energy sector. As the energy system undergoes a far-reaching transformation, new digital solutions, technologies and innovative business models are needed. In this article, we introduce you to upcoming energy startups from Germany.

Crises have been weighing on the global economy for almost two years. The energy industry in particular has been hammered by the Ukraine invasion as oil and gas imports from Russian sources are now realized with big (ethical) question marks. Rising prices, supply bottlenecks and alarmingly empty storage facilities have been the result, not only in Germany. Already in September 2019 – long before the war - the German government declared an “emergency plan” with three levels and reached level 2 (alert level) end of June 2022. At level 2, the goal is to fill gas storages by reducing gas consumption, e.g. through reducing the electricity production with gas power plants. For these reasons, the discussion on nuclear power has gained new momentum. Even the German Minister of Finance Christian Lindner - contrary to his statement from the end of 2021 - wants to rekindle a debate on nuclear power. But what does the situation actually look like and how realistic is a return to nuclear power really?