An unlikely-sounding coalition of a Conservative Party and a Green Party has come into office in Austria, and is shaking things up with bold plans to go to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and complete carbon-neutrality by 2040. Next we can ask what they plan to do about going carbon-negative.
These are not your grandfather's Conservatives, like Austrian economist F. A. Hayek in The Road to Serfdom, predicting that the British National Health would lead inevitably to Stalinism. Now why can't we have some Conservatives like this in the US?
Austria to have 1 million solar roofs by 2030—Forbes
Austria’s new government has promised a 1 million photovoltaic roofing program as part of its plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. The country pledged to source all its electricity supply from renewable sources by 2030.
The new Austrian federal government, formed by the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) in coalition with the ecologist Green Party and led by ÖVP’s Sebastian Kurz, has appointed a new ‘super ministry’ for climate and environmental protection as well as energy and infrastructure.
That's the kind of national plan I have been talking about. Not the timid half- and quarter-measures we saw in the first round after COP15.
The photo above is described thus:
Austria's President Alexander van der Bellen (R) looks on as Austria's newly appointed environment, energy and infrastructure Minister Green Party's Leonore Gewessler signs a document during a swearing-in ceremony of their new coalition government on January 7, 2020 at the President's office in Vienna, Austria. Austria's conservative Sebastian Kurz will return to office as the world's youngest democratically elected leader heading an unlikely coalition with the Greens after his previous far-right alliance collapsed. Kurz's People's Party (OeVP) and the Greens agreed to govern together after the last administration with the far-right fell apart in a corruption scandal, and both the OeVP and the ecologist party made key gains in September 2019 snap polls. (Photo by ROLAND SCHLAGER/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
I don't pretend to understand Austrian politics. Right now, I am not complaining.
Furthermore,
“The two political parties have the necessary majority in the National Council as the first and decisive chamber of Parliament. And, as today's inaugural discussions in Parliament have shown, this project has also political support by Neos (Liberal Party) and SPÖ (Social Democrats), so there should be a comfortable majority in favour of the necessary legal and financial decisions.”
Renewable energy in Austria—Wikipedia
By the end of 2016 Austria already fulfilled their EU Renewables Directive goal for the year ... the EU in Austria. Renewable Energy Action Plan: An action plan to achieve the 34% target. In essence, it is a concretization of the energy strategy.
Installed grid power capacity from all sources in Austria as of 23 November 2017[1]
- Coal: 598 MW (2.7%)
- Other Renewables: 4,406.8 MW (20.2%)
- Hydro Power: 11,990.3 MW (55.0%)
- Gas: 4,467.7 MW (20.5%)
- Others (e.g. Wasteburning): 172.6 MW (0.8%)
- Oil: 177.9 MW (0.8%)
Government policy · Sources of renewable ... · Hydroelectricity · Solar power
We Start Here, in 2020
National Energy Action Plan of Austria
Austria 2020 renewable energy targets:
- Overall target: 34% of share of energy generated from renewable sources in gross final energy consumption;
- Heating and cooling: 33% of heat consumption met by renewable sources;
- Electricity: 71% of electricity demand met by electricity generated from renewable energy sources;
- Transport: 11.5% of energy demand met by renewable energy sources.
Then We Proceed
Million solar roofs might not be enough: Austrian environmentalists
Well, of course it isn't enough to solve the problem. But it's plenty to get started.
Greenpeace and the Austrian Federal Association of Photovoltaic Energy have said that the Austrian government’s new plan to equip one million roofs with solar panels might not be enough for Austria to source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Photovoltaic Austria CEO Vera Immitzer told Power Technology that photovoltaic power must be increased tenfold if the government wants to achieve its goals.
She said: “In order for the roofs to actually be used, the administrative requirements and the PV obligation for new buildings must also be observed. This can only be done via appropriately large systems, in parking lots as well as fallow and open spaces.”
The plan, presented by the coalition government formed of the conservative Austrian People Party and the Green Party, aims to provide 11 terawatt-hours (TWh) of solar energy by 2030, in an attempt to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. If implemented, this would mean increasing almost tenfold the production of renewable energy, as at the moment renewables provide only 1.4TWh of power, covering 2.5% of the country’s energy demand.
Renewable energies in Austria | Invest in Austria
In Austria, electricity from renewable sources is supported mainly through a ... the klimaaktiv mobil, the environmental friendly mobility promotional programme.
Onward to Carbon Neutrality
Jan 3, 2020 - Austria's first Conservative-Green coalition government plans to become a European 'forerunner' in climate protection. ... The two disparate parties have agreed to govern in what Greens leader Werner Kogler called a "gamble" after key election gains in September. ... "It's worth the gamble ...
Austria′s new government sets goal to be carbon neutral
Jan 2, 2020 - After weeks of negotiations, Sebastian Kurz, the leader of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), and Greens head Werner Kogler presented their coalition deal on Thursday. Although the Greens managed to secure major policies to combat climate change, Kurz also pushed ...
Coalition 'gambles' on making Austria carbon neutral by 2040—Phys.org
Jan 2, 2020 - Austrias's first coalition between conservatives and Greens announced it would aim for carbon neutrality by 2040 as it laid out a plan Thursday for the country to be a European "forerunner" to protect the climate. ... Their alliance means People's Party (OeVP) leader Sebastian Kurz …
