Kerstin Andreae

Kerstin Andreae is a German economist and politician who has served as Vorsitzende der Hauptgeschäftsführung (CEO) of the BDEW (Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft) since 1 November 2019. She studied economics at the University of Freiburg and served as a Bundestag member for the Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) from 2002 to 2020, where she was deputy faction chair and economic policy spokesperson. Before joining BDEW, she was the Greens' lead economist in Berlin, shaping positions on energy, finance and labour policy.

At BDEW she represents more than 2,000 member companies across electricity, gas, district heating, water and wastewater, engaging with the Bundestag, EU institutions and regulatory bodies on energy market legislation. She has been confirmed in post for multiple terms and is widely regarded as one of Germany's most influential energy-sector voices.

At the 24 June 2026 Wirtschaftsausschuss hearing on StromVKG, Andreae said the first capacity auctions "should still start in 2026", publicly backing the 1 September auction date and aligning BDEW's 2,000-plus member utilities with the accelerated Bundestag timeline. Her statement carries weight because BDEW member companies are the principal bidders in the planned 11 GW first-round tender; a public commitment to a 2026 start signals that the industry considers the legal text ready for market. The Südbonus regional dispute and Bundeskartellamt concerns were acknowledged but did not attract a formal amendment at the hearing, leaving Andreae's timeline position intact as the operative industry stance going into the summer recess. The commercial backdrop to her endorsement: EU carbon settled above EUR 80/tonne on 25 June for the first time, hard-flooring CCGT marginal cost near EUR 98/MWh and making subsidised dispatchable backup capacity economically relevant for the BDEW members Andreae represents.