State energy officers want a fair funding application system – Austria
On Friday, Austria’s state energy officers in Leoben spoke out in favor of a fairer subsidy application system for small photovoltaic systems up to 20 kilowatt peak (kWp).
“People should no longer be forced to take part in an ‘online lottery’,” said Upper Austria’s Economic Provincial Councilor Markus Achleitner (ÖVP). In addition, a “federal-state dialogue” is to be introduced and deep geothermal energy is to be made usable.
Funding system has been criticized
As far as the funding system is concerned, criticism has been leveled that there have been four deadlines per year on which funding tickets can be applied for online, “but these are then issued within a few minutes. Many thousands of submitters who cannot make it through the online form under time pressure including Captcha, a password definition with upper and lower case letters, numbers or special characters and a 33-digit meter point number, come out frustrated with nothing,” said the state councilors’ broadcast.
System comes from a privileged time
Achleitner described in the APA interview that the system came from a privileged time when people still had to be inspired to create such systems, “but now we have a boom like never before”. It is nonsensical if, on the one hand, people are motivated to take part in the energy transition but are then disappointed with the subsidies. Therefore, a conversion from an application system to a bonus system is necessary.
Speakers for the transition to a new system
The speakers call for a changeover to a system that allows submissions all year round, even after a project has been completed. In addition, the funding program should also be longer and adequately budgeted. “The energy turnaround has reached the population: people want to use renewable energies and generate electricity with photovoltaic systems. They are also willing to invest here and should also be given the best possible support from the public sector,” emphasized Achleitner.
Schellhorn called for changes
Salzburg’s Energy Councilor Heinrich Schellhorn (Greens) introduced the demand for changes in the use of deep geothermal energy: “The use of geothermal energy from deep geothermal energy should make a significant contribution to sustainable energy supply. The legal framework for the use of geothermal potential must be revised quickly. “Hot water, which is stored in the ground at a depth of more than 300 meters and is not drinkable, is to be used more as an environmentally friendly source of energy for heat and power supply in the future. So far, 95 percent of the potential in Austria has been unused. The provincial councils agreed that the Mineral Raw Materials Act and the Water Act should be quickly adapted.
Lackner spoke out in favor of closer exchange between the federal and state governments
Hostess Ursula Lackner, Styrian Environmental Minister of the SPÖ, spoke out in favor of closer exchange between the federal and state governments when it comes to expanding renewable energy: “Diversity and networking are key to the success of the energy transition and the decisive climate goals. That’s why we want to extend it even more to the federal-state level.” That is why a regular “federal-state dialogue” was called for in order to coordinate progress across states and with the federal requirements even better. Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) welcomed the Demand for the new dialogue.