The blockade of the gas control scheme in the main committee by the opposition parties is delaying the comeback of the Verbund coal-fired power plant in Mellach in Styria. According to Verbund boss Michael Strugl, a start in April is now realistic because the deadlines for the technical conversion and the coal deliveries have now passed.
“We need the regulation, otherwise we can’t do it,” Strugl said in the “Ö1” interview. Strugl declined to comment on the political wrangling over the design of the ordinance. However, he does want “national solidarity” because it is about security of supply.
“Do anything for reasonable prices”
Strugl expects higher energy prices even after the end of the crisis. “I don’t think we will see a price level like we were used to before the crisis,” Strugl said on Saturday in the radio series “Im Journal zu Gast”. One must now “do everything possible to get a reasonable price level”, for example through regulatory measures and the expansion of renewable energy.
The brake on electricity bills proposed by WIFO boss Gabriel Felbermayr would be a “reasonable compromise” for the Verbund boss. The turquoise-green government plans to present its model for an electricity price brake soon. It was “just to meet a basic need and also to make the market work,” Strugl said. “I think it’s necessary not to let people down here.” High energy prices are “a major burden” for many households.
Felbermayr: Spread the brake on the electricity price
Felbermayr argues in favor of taking the size of the household into account when putting the brakes on the electricity bill. “It makes a huge difference whether there are one or five people living in a household,” says the WIFO head of the Presse (Saturday edition). Otherwise there is a risk that the entire electricity consumption of single-person households will be subsidized. In addition, Felbermayr argues for social differentiation in the electricity price brake. “The network operators may be able to fall back on the data from the GIS exemption here,” says the Wifo boss.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
