- Target: 100% renewable electricity and heat by 2030.
- Status: In progress
- RES: Hydro power, biomass and solar energy.
- Implementation: Upper Austria is one of 9 regions in Austria. It is the fourth-largest in the country by land area, and the third-largest by population. It borders the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg, as well as Germany and the Czech Republic. The Upper Austrian Energy strategy "Energiezukunft 2030" was launched to integrate climate actions across a number of economic sectors. It also sets the target for the region to reach 100% renewable electricity and heat by 2030. Renewable energy sources currently provide 80.7 % of Upper Austria's total electricity consumption and 44.5 % of its total heat consumption. Also, about 30% of its municipalities already use mainly biomass for heating.
To achieve its 100% target, Upper Austria has embarked on a range of initiatives. The region was the first state to implement the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, requiring that all new residential buildings must meet stringent energy efficiency standards. It has introduced study programs and vocational training, for example, through its university courses in Green Energy Engineering and Green Energy Installation. The Government works intensively with both companies and citizens, offering expertise and training on energy efficiency, particularly on the refurbishment of buildings. A special program to prevent “energy poverty” was successfully started, as well as a special advisory program: Betriebliche Umweltoffensive, which provides expert advice for companies on environmental issues. Upper Austria has committed to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels by 41% compared to 2005 levels within the transportation sector by 2030. This is important because the region has a strong car manufacturing industry. The Clean Motion Upper Austria program promotes the production of electric vehicles. The Government of Upper Austria also subsidizes the purchase of EVs. The region's E-GEM Program ('Energy saving communities') has resulted almost half of the State’s 444 Communities are implementing their own local energy strategies, especially in the roll-out of smart metering systems. - Population: 1,453,948 (2016)
- Area: 111,981.92 km2 (4,626.25 sq mi)
- Link: (In German) https://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/12782.htm
