Due to the lower production from renewables, Austria (APG control area*) was only able to export electricity on three days in December (calendar weeks 49-52). On balance, imports of 728 GWh (based on the schedules) were achieved on all days in December. In comparison, Austria exported electricity on eleven days in December 2023, resulting in a net import of only 194 GWh (based on the schedules). Despite the import months of November and December 2024, the annual import/export balance for 2024 resulted in unprecedented record electricity exports of 4,747 GWh, while the balance for 2023 was an import of 1,844 GWh.
Decline in renewables production
December was characterized by a decline in renewable energy generation of almost 16 per cent compared to December 2023. This means that on balance renewables (3,347 GWh) were only able to cover around 65 percent of the domestic electricity demand (5,174 GWh) this December.
Specifically, at 2,080 GWh, hydropower production (which was reduced due to seasonal factors) accounted for around 62 percent in December and thus contributed the lion's share of renewables even though its share of renewables fell by 14 percent compared to December 2023. Wind energy contributed 927 GWh (+9 percent compared to December 2023) to the production of sustainable electricity, while PV feed-in contributed 134 GWh (+2 percent compared to December 2023) to the renewables production.
No energy transition without a strong electricity grid
A strong grid is necessary to make the volatile, renewable electricity available and to transport it to where it is needed. To avoid grid overloads and ensure a secure supply, the electricity flow is managed with so-called redispatch measures, i.e. the targeted and controlled use of specific power plants.
In 2024, interventions in the schedule of power plants in Austria were necessary on 203 days (17 days in December) to ensure the security of the electricity supply. This is 9 days more than in December 2023. These interventions cause costs that eventually have to be borne by the electricity customers. By the end of December 2024, these costs amounted to approx. 86.5 million euros.
A negative effect in addition to the costs and rising CO2 consumption is the "curtailment" of renewable power plant production: For example, wind power plants or run-of-river power plants that would be producing electricity at a certain time are shut down to avoid overloads in the electricity grid. Since the beginning of the year, an average of around 4, 763 MWh of electricity per month has been "lost" due to these measures (the total from January to December 2024 was around 57,400 MWh).
"This shows that a modern energy system requires strong capacities in all key areas - from the electricity infrastructure, storage facilities, renewable production and power plant reserves to the digital integration of all players. This is also a prerequisite for Austria to be an attractive industrial and business location and place to live, as this is the only way to ensure the availability of affordable electricity for Austria. With our 9 billion euros investment scheme up to 2034, we are actively taking on responsibility. However, our efforts can only be effective if all our projects are implemented in due time," emphasizes Christoph Schuh, company spokesperson for APG.
A high-capacity electricity infrastructure, storage facilities, and digital intelligence within the electricity system are necessary to fully capitalize on the planned growth rates of renewables in the coming years. APG's EUR 9 billion investment scheme up to 2034 and its timely implementation is therefore key for achieving the energy transition without jeopardizing the security of supply. “This requires favorable general circumstances including an appropriate overall system planning, the simplification and acceleration of approval procedures, and an Austria-wide coordination of the transformation process towards a sustainable and affordable energy system,” adds Christoph Schuh.
Energy exchange within Austria
The exchange of energy across Austria is managed via APG’s electricity infrastructure. Electricity surpluses in individual provinces can thus be distributed throughout Austria to compensate for deficits.
In December, the highest volumes of energy were fed into the APG grid by Burgenland (215 GWh) and Vorarlberg (205 GWh) and thus made available throughout Austria. Carinthia (245 GWh) and Salzburg (197 GWh) drew the most electricity from the APG grid.
Responsible energy consumption
The available data show that 5,174 GWh of electricity were consumed from the public grid in Austria in December (calendar weeks 49-52) - around 4.5 percent more than in December 2023 (4,952 GWh). This is the electricity drawn from the public grid in the APG control area. The figures do not include electricity produced and consumed by private PV units.
It is important to act responsibly when it comes to electricity consumption. Saving electricity reduces CO2 and overall systemic costs, which are significant contributions to increasing system security. The trend of reducing CO2 has to be pushed further. This also includes electricity from private PV units.
Tips for saving electricity can be found at www.apg.at/stromspartipps. With the APG Powermonitor, the Austrian population can see the most effective electricity-saving hours and thus make an active contribution to CO2 reduction and system security. The APG Powermonitor can be found at: www.apg.at/powermonitor.
APG continually keeps track of the development of the domestic electricity industry and regularly publishes diagrams at https://www.apg.at/infografiken regarding the topics: energy exchange, energy consumption in Austria, renewables production, import/export, electricity prices, etc.
* The APG control area comprises almost all of Austria with the exception of a corridor each in Vorarlberg and Tyrol.
Click here for the current infographics
About Austrian Power Grid (APG)
As independent transmission system operator Austrian Power Grid (APG) is in charge of ensuring the security of the electricity supply in Austria. With our high-performance and digital electricity infrastructure and the use of state-of-the-art technologies we integrate renewable energies and reduce the dependency on electricity imports, we are the platform for the electricity market, and we provide access to reasonably priced electricity and thus create the basis for Austria as supply-secure and future-oriented industrial and business location and place to live. The APG grid totals a length of about 3,500 km and is operated, maintained, and continuously adapted to the increasing challenges of the electrification of businesses, industry, and society by a team of approximately 1,000 specialists. 67 substations are distributed all over Austria and the majority is operated remotely. Thanks to our committed employees Austria had a security of supply of 99.99 percent also in 2024 and thus ranks among the top countries worldwide. Our investments of 640 million euros in 2025 (2024: 440 million euros, 2023: 490 million euros) are a motor for the Austrian economy and a crucial factor in reaching Austria’s climate and energy targets. Until 2034 APG will invest a total of approximately 9 billion euros in grid expansion and renovation projects.
Press contact
Christoph Schuh
