Huge meeting in Linz: Switching to renewable energies starts!

Huge meeting in Linz: Switching to renewable energies starts!

On June 25, 2025, a crucial expert dialogue on the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive RED III in Austria will take place at the Johannes Keppler University Linz. This event, organized by the EEÖ in cooperation with the JKU Faculty of Law and the JKU Institute for Environmental Law, is led by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bergthaler directed. The topics of RED III are clearly defined: It aims to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies to climate neutrality by setting binding targets and reducing bureaucracy. Essential parts of this directive must be implemented into national law by May 21, 2025 at the latest, which represents a challenge for coordination between the federal and state governments. Questions such as the coordination of efforts between the different levels and comparisons with other EU member states are the focus of the event.

The European RED III pursues the ambitious goal of promoting the rapid expansion of renewable energies. By May 21, 2025, all federal states in Austria must record the area potential for renewable energy technologies, as ots.at highlights. Unfortunately, a legal implementation radar shows that no federal state has currently designated the required areas for renewable energy systems. In Upper Austria only exclusion zones were defined, which makes implementation considerably more difficult. The existing delays could further complicate the approval process and endanger the energy transition.

Implementation challenges

The implementation of RED III in Austria is crucial for the national energy transformation. There are numerous obligations, many of which should have been fulfilled since February 2024. A third of the federal states are uncooperative when it comes to implementing the “overriding public interest” in approval procedures. The so-called one-stop shop for permits, which should have been in operation since July 1, 2024, is also still pending. Greater responsibility is required from the federal states in order to achieve realistic progress, as oekonews reports.

A strong Renewable Energy Expansion Acceleration Act (EABG) is considered necessary to standardize and accelerate the approval procedures. The complexity of the nine different implementation methods in the individual federal states could continue to have an inhibiting effect on the expansion of energy from renewable sources.

European framework conditions

European politicians are now setting their own standards and goals for renewable energies, which are also influencing the discussion in Austria. According to europarl.europa.eu, at least 42.5% of gross energy consumption in the EU should come from renewable sources by 2030. The importance of these goals underlines the need for action for rapid national implementation of RED III. A commitment to achieve climate neutrality in the EU by 2050 is also sought, which correlates with Austria's efforts to advance the energy transition.

Overall, it is clear that the implementation of RED III in Austria still faces considerable challenges. It remains to be seen whether these can be overcome in time. The expert dialogue at Johannes Keppler University could be an important step towards clarifying many open questions.