Policy
State Governor Markus Wallner (ÖVP) and illwerke-vkw board member Christophe Germain traveled to Brussels on Tuesday with the aim of making hydropower more popular there. Wallner has already criticized several times that a storage power plant like Lünersee II should not be put in a worse position than wind and photovoltaic power plants.
Hydropower is an important asset in Vorarlberg. The majority of household electricity is generated this way. However, hydropower in the EU has a difficult time compared to wind power generation or PV, as proving CO2 neutrality is more difficult with hydropower, for example. In order to change that, a delegation from Vorarlberg traveled to Brussels on Tuesday.
Walterner: Hydropower ensures more grid stability
According to Wallner, the stability of the networks was discussed at the meeting, among other issues. The shift to renewable energy is coming, and wind and solar power play a big role. At the same time, there are a few hours a day when the network is unstable. Wallner says hydropower would be ideal for creating a balance here.
Knowledge about hydropower must be used
It is clear to Wallner that the country's great advantage, hydroelectric power, is not properly appreciated in Brussels. This means, among other things, that the approval process for the Lünsersee II pumped storage station is not completed as quickly as, for example, the approval process for a wind power plant. Wallner calls for this matter to change urgently. Each region must do what it can do best. In Vorarlberg there is a lot of knowledge regarding hydropower and it should be used.
Wallner calls for shorter environmental impact assessment procedures
As early as July 2023, Wallner complained to EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn that the EU was paying little attention to hydropower – more on this in: Wallner promotes hydropower to EU Commissioner Hahn. In October 2022, he also campaigned for hydropower in Brussels – more on this in: Wallner is campaigning for a massive power station.
