Transition mobility: where does energy come from?

Austria must become climate neutral by 2040. ÖBB already relies on energy self-sufficient railway infrastructure. However, more investment in energy grids and storage options is needed to promote the transition to mobility.

As is known, Austria must reduce carbon dioxide by 48% by 2030₂ Climate neutrality should be achieved by 2040. However, even if Austria implements all planned measures, there are still several percentage points missing from achieving climate targets. Big issue here: traffic. In order to achieve the transition to electric mobility, for example, huge investments are necessary in electrical networks and new technologies for energy distribution and transmission. So anyone who talks about the mobility transition should also talk about the energy transition. Current electricity consumption in Austria still amounts to 70 terawatt-hours per year, but more electric mobility will double demand. The main question that arises is: Where does the energy needed for future mobility come from? Johan Ploy, Member of the Board of Directors of ÖBB Infrastructure, Barbara Schmidt, Secretary General of Österreichs Energie, and Wolfgang Hreibernik, Head of the Energy Center at the Austrian Institute of Technology, discussed this matter in the Presse studio. The discussion was moderated by Madeleine Stoutmeyer, economics editor at Die Presse.