Officially, Austria is still relaxed when it comes to gas deliveries. While Germany has already declared the alert level, the early warning level remains in this country. However, the energy expert and former CEO of E-Control, Walter Boltz, is a little less relaxed about winter, because in his words “it’s definitely going to be tight”.
“The EU is taking important initiatives, but we need to be aware that whatever the EU does will only have a marginal impact next winter,” Boltz told Ö1 on Monday. For the cold season you are dependent on national or German initiatives. And one thing is clear: “It will certainly be difficult,” warns the expert. “Only the prices we see in the gas markets will be a major burden – for the economy, but also for consumers.”
Stores highly relevant
In addition to prices, storage levels also play a role when it comes to the scarcity of gas supplies. Even if we are currently at 42 percent and are currently on the right track, that could of course change at any time.
According to the expert, it would therefore be advisable to call on Austrians to reduce gas consumption, because “any savings can alleviate the situation in winter”. At the same time, Boltz criticized the fact that nothing had happened when sourcing new resources.
Delivery freeze for Austria likely to be difficult to manage
Even the expert does not dare to predict what a stop of gas supply would actually mean for Austria. This mainly has to do with how Europe would react to it: “If the gas supply between the Member States is in balance, Europe will miss 15-20 percent. The consequences would be recognizable, but mass closures of companies as a result of rationing will probably there is no question,” said the expert.
However, if Austria had to go it alone, things would look different and there would likely be a “mass decline” in the industry, Boltz said.
Solidarity in Europe
The expert’s recommendation would therefore be to work very strongly towards solidarity with neighboring countries and to use the opportunities to source gas from other regions – all as a community, so as not to outdo each other and drive up prices .
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
