Indoor swimming pools closed, underground metro intervals thinned, the streets less lit: what will the city do first in the event of an impending energy crisis? The plans have only just begun and give a glimpse of a bleak winter.
Emergency plans for a winter power outage, which have been worked out in detail, have been filling the media in our neighboring countries for weeks. In this country people take it easy – as the “Krone” study in the city of Vienna makes clear.
Crisis team collects opportunities
A crisis team was set up, which asked all municipal services to look for savings. But this is still in its infancy. “The overall research is currently being carried out intensively, after which the proposals made are tested for feasibility. Depending on the need, the action plan can then be implemented in late autumn/winter,” explains a spokeswoman for Alderman for Economic Affairs Peter Hanke (SPÖ).
Ice dream plans are going as usual
Late autumn/winter. This means that the capital is largely in limbo when it comes to the specific steps, which areas to shrink first if necessary. The “Krone” took a look at the “electricity guzzlers” in the sovereignty of the city of Vienna. That could be the first thing to be restricted: leisure activities such as indoor swimming pools, ice rinks or stadiums are in the foreground. It’s very possible that bans will come here – like in the lockdown.
Vibrate around open indoor pools
The twelve municipal indoor swimming pools have a shortage anyway and are heated with district heating. In an emergency, the sauna goers will have to rely on it first. It has been heard that the trickle baths for showering should remain open the longest. Exciting: the planners of the Ice Dream on Rathausplatz have not yet officially set a target to reduce energy consumption, although the spectacle consumes a lot of electricity.
Previous kick-offs in football?
So will everything stay clear, or will a gloomy winter be just around the corner? Light is likely to become a central part of the contingency plan. The palette varies from neon signs, the irradiation of official buildings, palaces & Co. to savings in Christmas lights. Football clubs also have to take into account earlier kick-offs in the winter months to save energy for floodlights.
Night subway “not wobbly at the moment”
Public transport: Wiener Linien has deployed a team of experts who are currently developing plans to respond quickly to emergencies. Longer intervals are part of it, but “as a last measure,” it says. Does the night subway wobble? “Not at the moment,” said a spokeswoman for the transport company.
And should you even save for the funeral? German communities lower the temperature in crematoria by 100 degrees Celsius. Is that coming to Vienna? The cemeteries are not shown on the maps. They refer to the city’s crisis team.
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.
