Economic Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer has announced that it wants to help energy -intensive companies in their electricity bill. The battered industry must be stimulated and the location of Austria must be strengthened. For this, 2025 and 2026 million should flow.
75 million euros are provided in the budget. Recently there was a reimbursement for the electricity price in times of the energy crisis in 2022. At that time, 185 million euros were paid to 44 companies, according to a spokesperson for the ministry. The difference until today: the electricity price has now fallen by around 75 percent.
The domestic industry is still in a crisis. At the end of 2024 she registered the largest fall in production in the EU. Economy Hattmannsdorfer Minister mainly makes electricity costs as a major problem.
“With the industrial current bonus we specifically discharge those companies that are mainly under pressure because of the high energy prices-out of industry, no wealth and no industry without lighting,” said the ÖVP politician different media. Without compensation, emigration threatens to countries with lower ecological requirements.
Bonus is paid afterwards
In exchange, companies with high electricity consumption must apply for this compensation in exchange to make appropriate investments in measures for energy efficiency. Companies from a consumption of 1 Gigawatt Hour (GWH) per year are classified as electricity -intensive companies. To classify: 1.21 Gigawatt would supply around 10 million light bulbs with electricity.
The prospect of 150 million euros is an aliquoted payment, depending on the application. Electricity prices have risen considerably for industrial companies via the CO₂ price. That is why this measure is provided for lighting. The industrial price bonus will be decided for the next two weeks in the council of ministers and repaid for 2025, the ministry said. In 2023 and 2024 there were no compensation payments.
According to Hattmannsdorfer, the crawling the industrialization must be stopped. “Our most central task is to strengthen the competitiveness of industry in Austria,” the minister said. Austria is in European midfield with energy prices.
For private households, tinkering is made at a social rate. “We work at ELWG and EABG at high pressure,” said the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The motto “Climate protection for every electricity price” is a thing of the past – “Now we think of care, price and climate protection together.” Electricity should not be “luxury good”.
FPö wants a longer financing period
Criticism came from the FPö, who was “alone” for two years. “This is far too short and is a decrease in the hot stone for the strengthening of the competitiveness of our industry and companies in this form. Other EU member states such as Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Spain have long been offering the Compensation in Austria in Austria,” said. “
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
