Austria’s Path Back to Coal-Fired Power Hits Political Roadblock
- Government fails to win support of opposition parties for bill
- Verbund told in June to ready mothballed plant for generation
A coal-fired power station in Mellach, Austria in June 2020.
Photographer: Akos Stiller/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Austrian plans to revive a mothballed coal plant were thrown into disarray after opposition parties rejected the initiative in parliament, underscoring rising discontent over the government’s energy policies.
State-controlled utility Verbund AG was ordered in June to prepare its coal-fired plant for emergency operation should Russia halt natural-gas supplies during the heating season. On Tuesday, opposition parties led by the Social Democrats rejected a bill cementing the measure, which requires two-thirds support in parliament, until the government guarantees extra costs for reviving coal won’t be borne by taxpayers.