2024-11-26 07:06:00
The new electricity provider check from GLOBAL 2000 and WWF only gives the domestic electricity industry a mixed environmental report card. With Alpen Adria Energie and the Gröbming power plant Only two of the 125 providers examined position themselves at the top as “drivers of the future of electricity”, with seven other providers following in the “solid green energy providers” category. This means that only nine providers landed in the two top categories, certifying a very good or good performance. 14 providers are in the middle range as “electricity providers in transition”, while a further eleven providers were rated consistently worse as “electricity providers with challenges”.. All others fall into the “non-transparent” category: These providers refused to answer the environmental organizations’ questionnaire.
“With the electricity provider check, we show which electricity providers are actually driving the energy transition and which are still partly stuck in the fossil fuel business model and are facing challenges. We want to provide guidance when choosing an electricity provider. It is worrying that many electricity providers completely refuse to provide information and often do not convince the state energy suppliers, even though they are publicly owned and should therefore actually support the goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030,” explain the two climate and energy spokesmen from GLOBAL 2000 and WWF, Johannes Wahlmüller and Reinhard Uhrig.
Poor performance of many state energy suppliers
The 2024 electricity provider check shows major differences among state energy suppliers. While Vorarlberger Illwerke is rated as a “solid green electricity provider” due to its strategy towards climate neutrality and a high proportion of renewable energy sources, several state energy suppliers only fall into the “Changing” category (Burgenland Energie, Wien Energie, EVN) or have to The switchover even solves “challenges” (Energie AG, Kelag, Energie Steiermark) and thus implements major changes. Several state energy suppliers do not yet have an adequate strategy for converting their entire electricity supply to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030, even though this is Austria’s stated goal and they are publicly owned. This applies, for example, to TIWAG or Salzburg AG. Both companies as well as the association and the state energy supplier ENERGIE ALLIANZ Austria also generally refused to provide information on the questions of the electricity provider check.
“Several state energy suppliers are lagging behind the energy transition because they rely on outdated projects and energy sources. Politics must intervene here as the owner of the large energy suppliers and clearly set the direction towards nature-friendly renewables,” says Johannes Wahlmüller from GLOBAL 2000. “The politically responsible must exercise their control function of the state utilities and implement ambitious corporate strategies,” demands Reinhard Clock from WWF.
Positive trend: 100 percent renewable electricity feasible by 2030
Nevertheless, GLOBAL 2000 and WWF also see positive developments: Due to the expansion of solar and wind power energy, the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption has risen to 87.6 percent in 2023 – an increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, electricity consumption fell by 4.5 percent. “With a well-coordinated and nature-friendly expansion over the next five years, Austria’s goals can be achieved: 100 percent renewable electricity for Austria,” says WWF energy spokesman Reinhard Uhrig. “But all energy suppliers have to take part – although some like TIWAG are still relying on pointless large-scale projects such as the Kaunertal expansion.”
About the electricity provider check
The environmental protection organizations examined a total of 125 electricity suppliers. It was taken into account whether the electricity suppliers actually use renewable energy throughout the company or still sell fossil energy in other areas. The ownership structure, corporate strategy, trading in certificates and environmental sustainability are also taken into account in the assessment. The electricity providers are divided into the categories “drivers of the future of electricity”, “solid green electricity providers”, “electricity providers in transition”, “electricity providers with challenges” and “non-transparent electricity providers”. The latter category includes electricity providers who did not provide the required information and therefore could not be evaluated.
The entire electricity provider check 2024 is on the homepages of GLOBAL 2000 and WWF available.
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How do the findings from the 2024 Electricity Provider Check reflect the challenges and progress towards Austria’s goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030?
**Interview on the 2024 Electricity Provider Check Findings**
**Interviewer:** Good morning, and welcome to our show. Today, we have Johannes Wahlmüller from GLOBAL 2000 and Reinhard Uhrig from WWF. They’ve recently released the 2024 Electricity Provider Check, which has provided a mixed report card on the Austrian electricity industry. Thank you both for joining us.
**Johannes Wahlmüller:** Good morning! It’s a pleasure to be here.
**Reinhard Uhrig:** Thank you for having us.
**Interviewer:** Let’s dive right in. The report seems to indicate that the majority of electricity providers in Austria are not performing as well as they should. Could you summarize the main findings?
**Johannes Wahlmüller:** Absolutely. Out of the 125 providers we evaluated, only two are recognized as “drivers of the future of electricity,” which really shows they are committed to renewable energy sources. Seven others were placed in the “solid green energy providers” category. In total, only nine providers earned a very good or good performance rating. This leaves us with a significant number of providers in need of improvement.
**Reinhard Uhrig:** Indeed, there are 14 providers that are considered to be “in transition,” while 11 are facing considerable challenges. Worryingly, many providers fell into the “non-transparent” category, as they refused to answer our questionnaires, which is particularly concerning for state-owned companies that should be leading the way towards a renewable future.
**Interviewer:** That sounds alarming. What do you think are the main issues causing these providers to lag behind, especially those that are publicly owned?
**Johannes Wahlmüller:** Many of them are still reliant on outdated business models and fossil fuels. This is particularly problematic given that Austria has a goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030. We believe it’s crucial for political leaders to take action and ensure these utilities implement ambitious strategies towards renewable energy.
**Interviewer:** Speaking of renewable energy, are there any positive trends that you’ve noted in the report?
**Reinhard Uhrig:** Yes, definitely. While the overall performance is mixed, we have seen a significant increase in the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption, which reached 87.6% in 2023—up 12% from the previous year. This indicates a shift towards cleaner energy, particularly due to the expansion of solar and wind projects.
**Johannes Wahlmüller:** And interestingly, electricity consumption itself has decreased by 4.5%, which suggests that we are also becoming more efficient in our energy use. It shows that with the right policies and investments, achieving the goal of 100% renewable electricity is feasible by 2030.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Johannes and Reinhard. Your insights provide a critical look at where we stand in the transition to renewable energy in Austria. It seems there’s both challenge and hope in the journey ahead.
**Reinhard Uhrig:** Thank you for the opportunity to share our findings.
**Johannes Wahlmüller:** Yes, thank you. We hope this report will motivate consumers to make informed choices regarding their electricity providers and push for greater transparency and commitment to renewables in the energy market.
**Interviewer:** Thank you both again for your time. It will certainly be interesting to follow how these dynamics unfold in the coming years.