Carinthia is fighting back: FPÖ leader Angerer calls for a stop to the electricity highway!

Carinthia is fighting back: FPÖ leader Angerer calls for a stop to the electricity highway!

On September 29, 2025, the presentation of the rough route for the 380 kV line by the Austrian Power Grid (APG) took place in Villach. At this event, FPÖ leader Erwin Angerer expressed clear concerns about the project. He called for a stop to the electricity highway until there are uniform electricity network costs in Austria. Angerer criticized the currently higher network costs in Carinthia compared to other federal states and argued that the new line was not only unnecessary, but would place an additional burden on Carinthia.

The new 380 kV line is planned to transport electricity from the eastern federal states to Carinthia. APG confirmed that this line was necessary to direct wind power to pumped storage power plants in Carinthia. However, Angerer disagrees with the view that electricity demand in Carinthia could double by 2040. He also appealed to the SPÖ-ÖVP state government to protect Carinthia's interests by opposing the project.

Influence of renewable energies

Carinthia is already taking on an important role as a battery storage facility for Europe, particularly with regard to grid balancing and grid stability. According to er renewable energie, the state has the highest share of renewable energies in Austria, namely 55%. The data shows that Carinthia will already cover 100% of its electricity needs from renewable energies in 2023.

Nevertheless, the challenges of increasing final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions remain. Greenhouse gas emissions in Carinthia have increased by 4% since 1990, with the highest emissions recorded in 2005. A decline of 14% since then means that significant efforts are still needed to meet emissions reduction targets by 2040.

Planned project and challenges

The “Netzraum Kärnten” project, which is also supported by APG and Kärnten Netz (KNG), covers a rough route of around 190 km, with around 173 km earmarked for a new 110 kV line. This line connects the Obersielach substations in Carinthia and Lienz in East Tyrol and will run through a total of 36 communities. The APG aims to define a fine route by autumn 2025 in collaboration with the affected communities, taking into account both geological conditions and natural hazards.

With a total investment volume of 9 billion euros, the network is part of the APG network development plan 2023. The first preliminary investigations for the infrastructure are scheduled to begin in February 2025, with particular attention being paid to safety and environmental concerns in the communities. The new line is scheduled to go into operation in 2033 and is intended to strengthen the electricity infrastructure in Carinthia and throughout Austria in order to promote a climate-neutral future.