Page 50 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2017 publication
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50 Winter 2017 European Energy Innovation
ENERGY AUSTRIA
Land am Strome – Land of rivers
By Barbara Kappel, MEP (pictured)
The actual overall European a huge number of different energy on imported fossil fuels and to
electricity system does resources. There are virtually no enable the reduction of greenhouse
not sufficiently meet the hard coal resources, limited brown gas emissions. In 2012 the Green
requirements to facilitate coal resources of poor quality and Electricity Act served as further
the transformation into a low carbon significant but declining hydrocarbon incentive to expand the number of
economy. Therefore the European resources. Austrian energy policy facilities producing green electricity.
Commission has come up with a therefore, depended vigorously on As a result, funding volume doubled
package of proposals to meet these abundant hydropower resources and to about EUR 50 million. An offensive
challenges, the “Clean Energy for Biomass. Water power was promoted designed to boost the share of
all Europeans Package”, the most strongly after World War II and again electricity consumption generated
complex legislative package in the after the oil crises of the 1970s. It grew by renewables to 85% by the year
energy sector ever presented by the steadily from about 5,000 GWh in 2020, which is top performance
Commission. In particular, it stipulates 1950 to about 42,000 GWh in 1999. when compared globally. Moreover,
a huge reduction of CO2 emissions, While construction of large hydro about 3,300 national experts focus
a higher share of renewable energy, power plants almost stopped in the on smart grids i.e. intelligent network
fosters energy efficiency and creates a 1980s, small hydro power plants management on the basis of modern
new electricity market model geared still see some growth. At present, information and communication
at the implementation of the climate more than 670 run-of-river power
and energy goals. As this is both plants and some 1,800 small-scale
an opportunity and a threat for our hydropower stations are in operation
economy it is crucial that the European and generate approximately 60% of
Parliament and the Member States are Austria’s electricity needs. Austria is
developing the right legal framework number one in Europe when it comes
to tackle these challenges and ensure to utilizing hydropower, and offers
that energy will still be affordable for bundled know-how and a dynamic
everyone. Otherwise, Europe will lose business environment to innovative
more and more of its energy-intensive companies. Nuclear energy is not
industry to countries with weaker an alternative source in Austria as
climate protection standards. In this on December 15, 1978 the Austrian
concise article I would like to point Parliament voted for banning nuclear
out the competence and diversity fusion. Consequently, Austria had to
provided by the Austrian industry cope with a severe dependency on
and research centres in identifying energy imports for the last decades.
meaningful and workable solutions. Austria´s energy policy, therefore,
has always been sensitive to security
AUSTRIA AND ITS STRONG TIES TO on supply and oriented towards
RENEWABLE ENERGY good international contacts. With
Today 30% of the energy consumption its international contacts Austria
in Austria is produced through deliberately developed transit facilities
renewable sources. Taking a closer for gas and electricity through Austrian
look on the electricity generation territory. This resulted in deliveries
we can see that Austria produces from Russia to Italy, France etc. via the
approximately 80% of its electricity “Trans Austria” and the “West Austria”
out of renewable energy sources. Only pipelines. Further, Austria was also a
Sweden, with 63,3%, comes close founding member of the International
to this high amount of renewable Energy Agency.
electricity in the European Union.
Renewables play an important role
Nature has not provided Austria with to reduce the country’s dependence
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