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Shameful, if not surprising: Once again, domestic energy suppliers and parts of the WKO are blocking essential climate change measures against the interests of the state and the population.
In order for Austria to be able to achieve its climate targets and for us to become independent of gas supplies from abroad, a legally coordinated conversion from gas heating systems to climate-friendly heating devices is required in Austria. However, the Renewable Heat Act required for this is still blocked. The environmental organization GLOBAL 2000 now has the statements on the draft law and other materials analyzed and shows who is blocking the energy transition: "It turns out that some energy suppliers and parts of the Chamber of Commerce are actively blocking the energy transition in the heating sector. The Lower Austrian company EVN, which simply rejects the switch from gas heating, is particularly striking. We therefore appeal to the Lower Austrian provincial governor, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, as the owner's representative, not to accept the false promises and to pave the way for clean and safe heating for everyone in Lower Austria," said Johannes Wahlmüller, climate and energy spokesman for GLOBAL 2000.
Specifically, it is about whether gas heaters should be replaced and whether this is also regulated by law. The Federal Government is preparing the Renewable Heat Act for this purpose. It is currently disputed whether gas heaters are legally required to be replaced or not. However, energy suppliers such as EVN, Energie AG, TIGAS, Energie Burgenland, individual municipal utilities and the Chamber of Commerce reject the exchange of gas heating systems. The positioning of the Lower Austrian EVN is particularly destructive: In the statement on the Renewable Heat Act it is clear that EVN is committed to gas heating being installed in new buildings, no changes being made to the existing building and the exchange of oil to gas heating being permitted becomes. Even in designated district heating expansion areas, gas heating should remain in place. In this way, EVN is actively lobbying against the replacement of gas heating systems, thus hindering the energy transition in Austria and preventing clean and safe heating from being possible for everyone in Austria.
The argument is that a switch to renewable gas is imminent. For GLOBAL 2000, however, this is a red herring: The feeding of biogas into the gas network is currently 0,136 TWh, but gas consumption in Austria is around 90 TWh. This corresponds to a share of 0,15 percent. Even with a hundredfold increase in volume, as is considered possible by 2030 in a scenario by the Austrian Energy Agency, the proportion of renewable gas remains far too low. “We will need renewable gas so that we can make ourselves independent of foreign gas supplies. However, in order to be able to cover the demand with the limited potential, applications that do not necessarily require gas must be converted and consumption massively reduced. We can achieve the energy transition, but only if we don't waste renewable gas - the champagne of the energy transition - pointlessly," Johannes Wahlmüller continued.
In addition to politicians, GLOBAL 2000 is also calling on energy companies to rethink. Gas should be clearly identified as a problem. The conversion from gas heating systems by 2040 is to be worked out and households are to be supported in the conversion. When planning to phase out gas heating, care should be taken to ensure that renewable gas is not wasted in space heating, that district heating is expanded in urban centers and that renewable energies and industrial waste heat are used. The focus should be on innovative renewable energies such as solar energy, geothermal energy and large heat pumps.
The environmental protection organization GLOBAL 2000 is also starting one today email promotion where citizens can ask the governor of Lower Austria to end the blockade of the state energy supplier EVN. “We need Austria's energy suppliers to drive the energy transition and not to block it. We therefore also appeal to the management of large energy suppliers in Austria, such as EVN CEO Stefan Szyszkowitz, to take on this great social responsibility and also to the owner representative Johanna Mikl-Leitner to support the conversion from gas heating and not to hinder it," concludes Johannes Wahlmüller .
Photo / Video: Global 2000.
