LH welcomes measures

“Every Upper Austrian should be able to feed into the grid”

The domestic electricity grid is currently not up to the challenge of the energy transition(Bild: Daniel Scharinger / picturedesk.com)

Netz Wien and Forum Versorgungssicherheit, to which Netz Oberösterreich also belongs, identified the reasons on Wednesday why expansion often takes a long time. On the same day, the Council of Ministers decided to accelerate grid expansion. LH Thomas Stelzer also welcomes the measures.

The climate targets mean a major burden for the domestic electricity grid, which is already reaching its limits in some places. So much so that owners of PV systems are no longer allowed to feed their electricity into the grid, as reported by the "Krone" newspaper. 

Expansion has been lengthy so far
The necessary expansion often takes a long time. The Forum Versorgungssicherheit, of which Netz Oberösterreich is a member, and Wiener Netze have identified five specific reasons for this. Firstly: approvals. Up to 20 expert opinions have to be drawn up for each environmental impact assessment. These normally take around seven months, but can sometimes take several years. 

Many delays
Objections from local residents and organizations also have to be taken into account, which is the second reason for delays. Reason number three: staff shortages at authorities, experts and in the implementation of projects. Waiting times of up to several years for highly technical components are the fourth factor. Finally, financing must also be carefully planned and approved.

LH welcomes decision
The grid operators are therefore calling for a long-term strategy for financing, staffing and prioritizing projects that serve climate protection. On Wednesday, the Council of Ministers decided to speed up the expansion of the electricity grids. "This is the order of the day. Citizens and companies in our country need security of supply and therefore planning security. This will ensure that the electricity grids are not overloaded by the electricity production of private PV systems, for example," LH Thomas Stelzer is also convinced.