German lawmakers gave the green light on Friday for a faster expansion of the electricity grid, as part of efforts to switch to more power from renewable sources.
The decision means the construction of two major power-line routes to transport renewable electricity from the north of Germany - where most of the country's wind farms are located - to the south can be brought forward.
Exactly when construction can begin depends on the plans of the Federal Network Agency and the transmission system operators.
The approval by the Bundestag - the lower house of the German parliament - means that the expansion can begin as soon as possible.
The decision affects nine electricity highways that are expected to take the form of underground cables, said lawmaker Markus Hümpfer, an energy expert from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats.
The cables are part of the so-called North-East Link, which transports electricity from the states of Schleswig-Holstein to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and the Rhine-Main Link, to take power from Lower Saxony to the south.
According to the draft bill, the expansion of the lines will cost around €47 billion ($50.9 billion). It could also increase electricity costs for consumers.
Grid fees, which are passed on to all electricity customers, will increase by around €80 per year as a result of the investments.
Green Party politician Ingrid Nestle said the extra costs would be offset by savings elsewhere, such as by reducing energy bottlenecks. "We will all benefit greatly from the grid expansion," Nestle told dpa.