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In its judgement of 16 September 2022, published on 7 November 2022, the Federal Supreme Court (BGH) ruled that if, in a condominium complex with different equipment for recording consumption, the proportional consumption of one or more user group(s) has not been pre-recorded with a separate heat meter, contrary to § 5 (2) sentence 1 of the Heating Costs Ordinance (HeizkostenV aF), the billing of heating costs is generally in accordance with proper administration if the consumption is determined by way of a mathematically correct calculation of the difference, taking into account the determined consumption data. It was not possible for the V. Civil Senate to make its own decision on the merits of the case because further findings by the Court of Appeal were required (§ 563 para. 3 ZPO). In the course of this, the case was referred back to the Düsseldorf Regional Court for a new hearing and decision, including on the costs of the appeal proceedings. BGH,…

In its ruling of 30 June 2022, published on 27 October 2022, the IV Senate of the BFH, abandoning the legal opinion expressed in its ruling of 12 April 2018, IV R 5/15, BFHE 261, 157, BStBl II 2020, 118, marginal no. 34 et seq. on section 15(3) no. 1 EStG old version. The Federal Tax Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) ruled, in accordance with the interpretation of the law advocated by the Federal Tax Court, that losses from a commercial activity (in the case in question, losses from the operation of a photovoltaic system) do not preclude a reclassification of the otherwise asset-managing activity of a GbR if the so-called de minimis threshold is exceeded. The lateral effect of § 15, para. 3, no. 1, sentence 1, alternative 1 and sentence 2, alternative 1 EStG in the version of the WElektroMobFördG (EStG n.F.) is not to be restricted for mixed-activity asset-managing partnerships to a greater extent than has been the case to date for mixed-activity self-employe…

While the EEG 2017 still provided that the permits according to the BImSchG for wind farms participating in the tendering procedure had to be submitted to the Federal Network Agency two weeks before the bid date, the deadline under the EEG 2021 is now four weeks. For the bid date 1st of februray the deadline will be already expired on 4th February. The reason for these extended examination periods is the new § 28 para. 6 EEG 2021. This provision is intended to discourage the signing of tender rounds and therefore provides for a reduction in the volume of tenders in the case of a threat of signing. It is true that the bidding rounds for onshore wind turbines have been regularly signed in recent years. However, a reduction in the volume of tenders is unlikely to do justice to the timely expansion of wind energy and thus to the achievement of climate targets.

In a decision dated 9. 12. 2020, the BGH granted a tenant a temporary right of retention under Section 242 BGB for operating costs claimed by the landlord. Insofar and as long as the landlord does not allow the tenant to inspect the accounting documents contrary to § 259 para. 1 BGB, to which in addition to the invoices also the payment receipts are to be counted, the tenant can just not check the activity of the landlord. This also applies irrespective of whether the landlord accounts according to the outflow principle or according to the performance principle or whether he uses one or the other accounting method for the different types of operating costs, according to the Federal Court of Justice. An interest going beyond the general interest of the tenant in the review of the #Operating costs statement is not required here. (BGH, Dec. of 9.12.2020 - Az.: VIII ZR 118/19)

The National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) has identified as a measure to promote the production of green hydrogen, in particular, the increased designation of areas suitable for the offshore production of hydrogen or PtX can be used, the necessary infrastructure and possibilities for additional tenders for renewable energy generation are defined. On the 4th. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) published the draft of the Area Development Plan 2020 and the drafts of the environmental reports (North Sea and Baltic Sea) within the framework of the Strategic Environmental Assessment on 1 September 2020. This update includes "other energy production areas" as defined in § 5 para. 2a WindSeeG.

Das LG Wuppertal hat mit Urteil vom 23. Juni 2020 die Klage eines Übertragungsnetzbetreibers auf Zahlung der EEG-Umlage abgewiesen und damit erstmals über die Übergangsregelung der Scheibenpacht nach § 104 Abs. 4 EEG - hier insbesondere zur räumlichen Nähe und zur Betreibereigenschaft - entschieden. Die Voarussetzungen einer Scheibenpacht seien erfüllt, da das Kriterium der tatsächlichen Herrschaft und der eigenverantwortlichen Bestimmung der Arbeitsweise nicht uneingeschränkt übertragen werden könne. Zudem sei der Entscheidung des BFH vom 20.04.2004 zur räumlichen Nähe bei einer Entfernung von 4,5 Kilometern zwischen der Stromerzeugungsanlage und der Verbrauchseinrichtung nicht entgegen. Der BFH habe diese Entfernung von 4,5 Kilometern nicht als Maximalradius erklärt. § 12b Abs. 5 StromStV sei vorliegend nicht bindend. (LG Wuppertal, Urteil vom 23.06.2020 - Az.: 5 O 490/19)