Renewable Expansion Act passed in the National Council!

Now it is fixed: The Renewable Expansion Act (“EAG”) has been passed in the National Council today! Just before the National Council’s summer break, the EAG was finalized and can now be implemented quickly. For the energy industry now the question arises: All’s well that ends well?

Changes to the government bill

The legislative process was intensive: The statements of stakeholders from the energy industry, the coordination with the European Commission and, above all, the balancing of political interests to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority have led to some changes to the original legislative proposal. The actual impacts on the energy industry cannot yet be assessed, but the potential for renewable energy projects is enormous.

Here are some relevant changes. More information will soon be available at www.360ee.at:

• Implementation of eco-social criteria in § 6a EAG
• Investment grants for hydropower plants (§ 56a EAG)
• Investment subsidies for biomass-based plants (Section 57a ​​EAG)
• “Cost capping” for households according to § 72a EAG

Outlook

Although the EAG has now cleared the first hurdle, there is still a long way to go before the act comes into force in its entirety. First, the Federal Council has to pass a resolution, which is scheduled for July 14^th. In addition, the European Commission still has to approve parts of the EAG package from a state aid point of view; this is expected to be done in the course of the next few weeks. After that, the way is finally clear for the energy transition!

If you have any further questions on this topic, please do not hesitate to contact our experts Johannes Hartlieb, Kaleb Kitzmüller and Mario Laimgruber from our “360° Renewable Energy” practice group, who will be happy to answer any further questions you may have on this topic.

Disclaimer

This article is for general information only and does not replace legal advice. Haslinger / Nagele Rechtsanwälte GmbH assumes no liability for the content and correctness of this article.

 

8. July 2021

 

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