Czech electricity market hits record evening price spikes amid heatwave

On Wednesday, spot electricity prices in the Czech Republic surged above 692 EUR/MWh in the evening, driven by a combination of extreme heat, soaring demand for cooling and a sharp drop in wind generation. Similar price spikes were recorded in Germany (up to 868 EUR/MWh), France (over 414 EUR/MWh) and the United Kingdom (around £426/MWh). Reduced output from wind farms across much of Europe, along with limited nuclear capacity in France and Switzerland because of high river‑water temperatures, constrained supply. The price gap between midday, when solar output keeps prices low, and the evening peak created profitable arbitrage opportunities for battery storage, highlighting the growing importance of short‑term flexibility in the market. Higher solar generation in the Czech Republic has improved the realised price of solar power from €19.5/MWh in April to about €53.6/MWh in June, but the evening peak still underscores the need for additional flexible resources.