The prices for electricity and gas on the wholesale markets continue to rise unchecked. Federal and state politics are holding back with measures. One does not want to intervene in the interplay between supply and demand, says Upper Austria’s State Councilor for Energy, Markus Achleitner.
A week ago, the President of the Industry, Georg Knill, spoke of prices that threatened the existence of the company. The rally continues. The price per megawatt-hour base, which has increased from 60 to 70 to more than 200 euros in the past few months, rose to over 300 euros last night. The shutdown of French nuclear power plants for safety or maintenance reasons reduces the supply as well as the half-empty gas storage facilities, which still do not fill up due to reluctance. The fact that the local rivers do not currently carry a lot of water does not necessarily make the situation any easier, say the electricity producers.
In the cement industry, which is considered to be particularly energy-intensive alongside the metal, lime and paper industries, it is hoped that spring will come off lightly. “We are currently using less energy and hope that the situation will calm down by spring,” says the head of the Kirchdorfer Group, Erich Frommwald, who is also chairman of the industry division in the Chamber of Commerce. But the situation is anything but funny at the moment. Because only a few industrial companies were protected against such price fluctuations.
Voestalpine has at least managed to accommodate the increases in energy prices in the prices. How that will look in the coming year cannot be said yet, said a spokesman for the OÖNachrichten.
Politics hardly has any leeway. For households with lower incomes, there will be an inflation adjustment of 150 euros, the reduction in green electricity taxes should save each household around 100 euros. No special measures are planned for industry. “The current situation is not easy,” says Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler and promises to monitor prices closely. Provincial Councilor Achleitner says he does not want to and cannot intervene in the market structure. “We have to somehow dumbbell over the first half of the year, then the prices should calm down again.”
Source: Nachrichten
