Renewables as part of the Austrian electricity market

Many renewable electricity technologies are loss making unless they are subsidised. This goes for photovoltaic, biomass, biogas, and usually wind, as well. However, electricity from some renewable sources, including older hydropower plants, can be generated under normal market conditions — in other words, they pay their way.

Under Austria's electricity labelling regulations, all electricity suppliers are legally obliged to indicate on their bills the sources of the power they deliver to consumers. However, they are not required to disclose information on the extent to which the green power they supply is subsidised. The support payments are usually financed by electricity consumers and taxpayers.

As renewable energy comes in a variety of forms (supported and non-supported, old and new generating stations, hydro, photovoltaic and other technologies), suppliers have widely differing approaches to marketing green power.

The E-Control tariff calculator (in German) includes a list of renewable electricity suppliers.

Our labelling report (also in German) explains how power labelling works.