IT industry association calls for relief on electricity prices

The association digitizes calls for quick relief from high electricity prices

Companies are sounding the alarm: high energy costs are threatening digitization

The German IT industry is demanding rapid relief from the high electricity prices. "The current situation is a threat to the digitization of the economy and society," said Bernhard Rohleder, President of the digital association Bitkom, on Wednesday in Berlin. Many companies were sounding the alarm, Rohleder said. In particular, energy-intensive applications such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing are becoming more expensive.

Bitkom is therefore calling for the federal government to introduce a price cap for electricity. "We need a quick and unbureaucratic solution that provides companies with planning security," demands Rohleder. In addition, the association is calling for a reduction in the electricity tax and a suspension of the EEG surcharge. According to Bitkom, the German economy is facing energy costs of around 300 billion euros this year. The IT industry alone accounts for around 10 billion euros of this.

Rohleder warned that high energy costs could lead to companies relocating their data centers abroad. "This would be a disaster for the digitization of Germany," said Rohleder. The federal government must therefore act quickly, Rohleder demanded. "We need a clear signal from politics that digitization is a priority."

The federal government has already announced that it will provide relief for companies from the high energy costs. However, the measures planned so far are not sufficient, according to Bitkom. The association is therefore calling for the government to increase the planned aid. "We need a comprehensive package of measures that provides companies with real relief," said Rohleder.