Austria Energy New Law to Speed Renewables Projects

Austria’s National Council has passed the Renewable Energy Expansion Acceleration Act (Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Beschleunigungsgesetz - EABG), a law intended to speed up approval procedures, including the introduction digital processes, and establish a “one-stop-shop” principle to speed up renewable energy generation projects and electric grid upgrades. Austria’s electricity generation from renewable energies is set to increase by 30 TWh by 2030 and at least 40 TWh by 2035. The law sets Austria’s first legally binding battery storage target of 5 GW by 2030.

A broad coalition of Austrian economic groups, labor unions, energy associations, and environmental NGOs welcomed the new legislation, highlighting its importance for accelerating renewable‑energy expansion and grid development.

The legislation creates new export opportunities for U.S. companies specializing in solar, hydro and wind technologies, renewable energy equipment, battery storage technologies, and smart grid modernization tools.

Note on China: Currently Europe’s leading supplier of solar energy and battery storage solutions, Chinese dominance in the sector is sparking increasing concern about the risk of foreign interference in the operation of critical infrastructure. Brussels has moved to restrict EU funding for solar, wind, and energy storage projects using inverters from so-called high-risk countries, including China.

As Austria reduces administrative barriers and increasingly looks beyond Chinese providers for renewable energy and supporting infrastructure, demand for advanced technologies and technological expertise from trusted partners is expected to grow.

For more information about opportunities in the Austrian energy market contact Marta Haustein, Senior Commercial Specialist at CS Vienna: marta.haustein@trade.gov.