The International Energy Agency recently published its most updated review of Austrian energy policies. This covers everything from energy supply through to energy demand and includes R&D and links with climate change. The press release is available here.
The following provides a quick snapshot of the sustainable energy aspects together with the key recommendations to the government:
• Two of the main aims of Austrian energy policy have been to reduce its dependence on energy imports and to strengthen its security of supply. Import dependence has been reduced slightly from 65% in 2000 to 62% in 2012, largely owing to increases in bioenergy supply.
• Austria’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have grown by around 6% from 1990 to 2011, while the country’s target under the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce them by 13% from 1990 to 2008-12
• The government, however, has several options to tackle the impact of energy prices and costs. One of these is the promotion of energy efficiency, and Austria has been both ambitious and successful in this area, in particular as regards buildings. Another measure is to promote competition in the retail electricity and gas markets. This could be done by further strengthening the powers of the regulator and by empowering consumers and promoting supplier switching.
• Since 2007, the government has more than tripled public funding in this sector, adopted a new Energy Research Strategy and launched several priority programmes. . . . The major increase in public funding is a result of the Climate and Energy Fund to support R&D in renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as market demonstration and deployment. This is to be applauded.
• With energy policy, the government’s aim is an efficient, affordable and socially responsible energy system that guarantees security of supply, prosperity, competitiveness and a liveable environment. Austria will also maintain its anti- nuclear policy.
The main challenges for national energy policy lie in the following areas: the EUframework, energy transition (decarbonisation), development of network infrastructure, competition, duration of planning and consenting and permitting processes, support systems, security of supply, and affordability of energy.
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Regarding energy efficiency, the plans include stabilising final energy consumption at 1 100 petajoules (PJ), or 26.3 Mtoe, per year by 2020 and implementing the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU).
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On renewable energy, the plans include further expansion of renewable energy capacity and an evaluation of the support system for renewable electricity. They also include the development of an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable support system for renewable electricity and increasing the efficiency, transparency and focus of the renewable energy support systems.
• Key recommendations
The government of Austria should:
* Develop a post-2020 energy and climate strategy that integrates security of supply and internal market dimensions. Specifically, analyse how emissions could be reduced with domestic and EU-wide measures only.
*Address concerns over energy prices and costs by further promoting energy efficiency and greater retail market competition.
* Continue the drive towards cross-border integration of both electricity and natural gas markets. In doing so, attention should be paid to the need for:
– co-ordination and co-operation with neighbouring countries
– encouraging investment in networks, optimising demand response and integrating variable renewable energy supply in a cost-effective and market-based manner.
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 