Utility companies say Germany has exported significantly more electricity to its neighbors from January through September as renewable energies made up for last year's closure of eight nuclear power plants.
The BDEW industry group said Friday net electricity outflow leapt to 14,600 gigawatt hours from 1,600 during the first nine months of 2011. The output from wind and especially solar power, however, is expected to be much lower in the dark months of the fourth quarter.
The group says the figures represent physical net energy flows between Germany and its neighbors and don't necessarily equal the amount of power sold abroad.
Germany has long been a net exporter of electricity, but output fell last year after the government shut down old nuclear reactors after Japan's atomic disaster in March.
