The Energy Regulation and Markets Review - Stikeman Elliott

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New Emissions Trading Act
Austria
The new Emissions Trading Act transposes the new emissions-trading scheme as provided
in Directive 2009/29/EC (amending ETS Directive 2003/87/EC). From 2013, power
generators will have to buy emission allowances for the operation of their power plants
(the power sector no longer benefits from free allowances).
iv (Temporary) ban of carbon dioxide storage
Geological storage of carbon dioxide and also the exploration of cavities are legally banned
by the Act Prohiting the Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide. Only certain research
activities are exempted from the ban. Until the end of 2018 the federal government has
to present a report whether the ban should be kept or abolished.
VII
CONCLUSIONS and OUTLOOK
With the finalisation of the energy strategy in 2009 Austria has a comprehensive strategic
concept for its national energy policy and a clear position towards the energy policy of
the EU. The renewal and the extension of transmission and distribution grids is still
a major challenge, however. The activities in this field have to be accelerated in the
electricity sector, particularly with a view to raising an amount of RES to be integrated.
Further, so-called independent grid systems (‘island solutions’) are becoming
more and more attractive. The increase of energy efficiency in all relevant sectors will
also, however, be challenging, as the current federal and state policies and programmes
are not coordinated enough. For example, as federal support for improving the selfsufficiency
of buildings was greatly extended, several states reduced their own support
schemes signalling the need to adopt austerity measures.
With a view to increasing the diversification of supply sources for gas, new gas
pipelines such as the Nabucco project are necessary.
After 10 years of liberalisation in the electricity and gas sector, the number of
consumers changing their energy supplier is still rather low. Several instruments were
implemented to support customers in comparing the energy tariffs of different suppliers
and to assist them switching supplier; 4 however, additional regulatory measures might be
discussed in the future.
4 See the online tariff calculator and switching assistant provided by E-Control: www.e-control.
at/en/consumers/electricity/supplier-switching.
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