Germany's top court rejects renewable energy producers' case against use of windfall profits

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's highest court on Thursday rejected complaints by renewable energy producers against a government decision in 2022 to use their “excess profits” to help finance a cap on electricity prices.

A submission to the Federal Constitutional Court by 22 generators of wind, solar and biomass energy argued that dealing with the energy crisis that followed Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the responsibility of the state and should therefore have been financed from taxes. They also said their facilities hadn't contributed to high electricity prices.

But the court found that the measure was, in the exceptional situation that the energy crisis created, constitutional.

“Excess profits” that many electricity generators ran up as a result of high energy costs were used between December 2022 and June 2023 to help finance an “electricity price brake,” capping the cost of part of the power households and businesses used.

The measure was part of a relief package drawn up in response to sky-high gas prices that, because of the way the electricity market is structured, pushed up overall energy costs. That led to unusually high profits for some operators of facilities with low fossil fuel costs, including those powered by renewable sources.

FILE - Wind turbines operate at the Klettwitz Nord solar energy park near Klettwitz, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off Thursday morning in New York City with a steady rain that added ponchos and umbrellas to the lineup of balloons, floats and star-studded performances.

The annual holiday tradition features new Spider-Man and Minnie Mouse balloons, zoo and pasta-themed floats, performances from Jennifer Hudson and Idina Menzel, and more.

The lineup is a far cry from the parade’s initial incarnation a century ago, which featured floats showing scenes from Mother Goose, Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, Miss Muffet and the Spider, and other fairy tales.

Some things remain the same, though. As in 1924, there are plenty of marching bands and lots of clowns, followed by the grand finale of Santa Claus riding through Manhattan and ushering in the holiday season.

This year's parade features 17 giant, helium-filled character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, award-winning singers and actors, and the WNBA champion New York Liberty.

One new float spotlights the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements. Another celebrates the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.

“The work that we do, the opportunity to impact millions of people and bring a bit of joy for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning, is what motivates us every day,” said Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer.

The parade began at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away around noon at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.

The rain isn't stopping anything — the parade has only been canceled three times, from 1942 to 1944 during World War II — but organizers are monitoring wind speeds throughout the festivities to make sure it’s safe for the big balloons to fly.

Temperatures are in the upper 40s degrees F, with rain throughout the morning and winds around 10 mph (16 kph), well within the acceptable range for letting Snoopy, Bluey and their friends soar. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph (37 kph) or wind gusts are over 35 mph (56 kph).

The parade airs on NBC with hosts Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker and streams on the network's Peacock service. Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza will host a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.

People stand in the rain along Sixth Avenue ahead of the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A person inflates a float in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

People inflate floats in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

People watch floats being inflated in preparation for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Pedestrians cross Sixth Avenue ahead of the start of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)