Energy transition 2025: Politicians are calling for rapid network expansion and new financing!

Energy transition 2025: Politicians are calling for rapid network expansion and new financing!

The challenges of the energy transition are in the spotlight after numerous network operators have formulated high expectations of the newly formulated federal government. During an energy policy background discussion on March 13, 2025, Johannes Zimmerberger, managing director of Linz Netz GmbH, emphasized the urgency of faster approval procedures and innovative financing models for network expansion, since many challenges were insufficiently addressed last year. According to Zimmerberger, essential reforms such as the future E-Economic Act and the acceleration of the expansion of renewable energies must now be implemented quickly in order to make the energy supply in Austria future-proof. Solutions for a fair distribution of costs in tariff system are also urgently required. How Vattenfall.de reported, 872 network operators in Germany are responsible for maintenance and expansion of electricity and gas networks.

In order to cover the increasing energy requirement, the network operators require planning security and adjustments to existing EU guidelines from the government, which are intended to enable the primary processing of projects as part of the energy transition. A new tariff system that defines network use based on the stress instead of only on the source of electricity is essential for a fair distribution of costs. Zimmerberger also calls for incentives for self -consumption and options for flexible use of energy to avoid bottlenecks.

Cooperation for efficient networks

An effective interaction between electricity producers, network operators and consumers is crucial for the implementation of the energy transition. The use of intelligent meters and the development of a system for optimal use of network capacities are central points. In addition, expansion plans for electricity, green gas and district heating should be coordinated to ensure efficient use of existing resources. The importance of gas as an energy source also remains in a decarbonized energy system, and the creation of a coordination plan for hydrogen storage is considered necessary. According to Zimmerberger, a constructive coexistence of everyone involved is indispensable in order to successfully promote the energy transition.