Lower Austria pushes ahead with wind power expansion

Lower Austria is not only home to Windkraft Simonsfeld's headquarters and most of our wind farms, but also to more than half of all wind turbines in Austria, with over 800 installations. And the expansion continues, as Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf emphasises. According to Lower Austria's climate and energy roadmap, the target for wind power has been increased from 7,000 to 8,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030.

‘We want to make our homeland even more independent of fossil fuel imports, strengthen our security of supply and contribute to protecting our climate,’ said Pernkopf. When it comes to wind power, the state also sees a lot of additional energy potential in ‘repowering,’ i.e. modernising existing plants. An important, clear statement from the office of the deputy governor.

Three points for new projects and ambitious goals will be crucial in the coming years:

 

• Repowering – modern wind turbines deliver more energy while taking up less space.

 

• Permits – we need clear, accelerated processes that also ensure high standards of nature and species conservation.

 

• Acceptance – the energy transition can only succeed through dialogue with local people. Transparency, opportunities for participation and consideration of regional concerns are crucial to this.

 

The course for 2030 is being set now. If we consider these three issues together, wind power is one of the strongest levers for a secure, independent and climate-friendly energy future.