From Michael Strugl’s point of view, you have to “do everything to reach a reasonable price level” for energy – for example through state intervention and the expansion of renewable energy. However, the Verbund boss also expects higher energy prices after the current crisis.
The brake on electricity bills proposed by Wifo boss Gabriel Felbermayr would be a “reasonable compromise” for the head of the Austrian energy supplier. The turquoise-green government plans to present its model for an electricity price brake soon. It was “correct to meet a basic need and also to make the market work,” said Strugl on Saturday in the Ö1 series “Im Journal zu Gast”. “I think it’s necessary not to let people down here.” High energy prices are “a major burden” for many households.
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 boss 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.
No comment on the political tug-of-war over Mellach
The blockade of the gas control scheme in the main committee by the opposition parties prolongs the reactivation of the combined Mellach coal-fired power station. If the regulation had been enacted this week, it could have started at the end of January, according to the Verbund boss. “We need the arrangement, otherwise we can’t do it.” Because the deadlines for the technical conversion and the coal deliveries have now passed, a start in April is not realistic. 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.
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.
