PV subsidy under discussion: Verbund CEO calls for its end, states demand other construction sites

Verbund CEO Michael Strugl is setting a debate in motion: He is calling for an end to PV subsidies, because rooftop photovoltaic systems have meanwhile become economically viable even without subsidies. In doing so, he is questioning an instrument that has played a central role for many energy communities and private plant operators in their investment decisions for years.

While this demand is on the table, Niederösterreich and Burgenland are approaching the federal level with a different concern: They are calling for a revision of the Systemnutzungsentgelte-Grundsatzverordnung, i.e. those rules that help determine how network costs are passed on to consumers. The industry association PV Austria is also weighing in and demanding improvements to network tariffs – a point that is directly noticeable for energy communities, since network tariffs make up a significant part of electricity costs.

The debate thus shows on several fronts simultaneously how differently the interests surrounding photovoltaic subsidies and network costs are currently positioned. For members of energy communities, it is worth taking a look in the coming weeks at how these different demands could affect subsidy models and network tariffs.

Bild: KI-generiert