Agreement reached on faster expansion of renewable energies in Austria

Higher Expansion Targets for 2030 and 2035

From 2027 onwards, the federal states are obliged to report regularly to the Energy Minister on progress in the expansion of renewable energies. If the states fall behind the targets, the Energy Minister will be granted the right to intervene from 2029 onwards. In addition, funds from the technology fund are to be reduced if a federal state fails to meet its requirements.

The Greens' energy spokesperson Lukas Hammer spoke of tough negotiations at a press conference. "Wir haben hart verhandelt", said Hammer, emphasizing that the government had made concessions to the Greens in the negotiations.

The SPÖ also expressed satisfaction with the result. SPÖ energy spokesperson Alois Scholl described the talks as intensive and "hart", but fair. With a view to the geopolitical situation, Scholl formulated a far-reaching claim: "Österreich baut sich frei von den Putins, von den Trumps dieser Welt."

Faster Approvals Through Bundling

ÖVP energy spokesperson Laurenz Pöttinger assessed the agreement as a "guten Kompromiss" that bears "die Handschrift der Volkspartei". Pöttinger emphasized that the resolution is also intended to enable the construction of wind power plants in western Austria. The expansion of renewable energies will also lead to lower electricity prices in Austria.

A central point of the agreement is the simplification of approval procedures. In the future, a single authority is to be responsible for renewable energy and grid infrastructure projects respectively, as Pöttinger emphasized. NEOS energy spokesperson Karin Doppelbauer referred to a planned digital platform for the procedures and announced: "Wir beschleunigen und vereinfachen Verfahren."

On the expansion of hydropower, the negotiating partners agreed to protect the last untouched bodies of water. The "überragende öffentliche Interesse" for hydropower expansion is not to apply to these bodies of water.

Protection of the Last Untouched Bodies of Water

In the political debate, the governing parties also used the agreement to criticize the FPÖ. The latter had worked against the coalition on this dossier and on other issues, it was said from the government side.

With the agreement now reached, the law is considered ready for adoption in the National Council. The expansion targets as well as the new reporting and intervention instruments are to noticeably accelerate the expansion of wind, solar, hydropower, and storage capacity in Austria in the coming years.