As in the previous three months, Austria (APG control area*) was an electricity importer in February 2025, only on two days electricity could be exported. On balance, 828 GWh of electricity (based on the schedules) were imported in February. Typically, Austria tends to have to import electricity in the winter months, as the seasonal conditions (fog, precipitation in the form of snow, and few hours of sunshine) mean that less renewable energy (hydropower) is produced during this time. However, in February 2024, Austria exported electricity on 15 days due to the atypically good feed-in from run-of-river power plants, which was in stark contrast to the long-term trend and resulted in exports of 23 GWh (based on the schedules).
Low renewable generation
Renewable generation in February (calendar weeks 6-9) was low, which is typical for the winter months. Compared to 2024, the feed-in of renewable energy fell by almost 35%. As in January, the main reason for this can be seen in the extremely dry conditions throughout Austria. The share of renewable energies (2,752 GWh) in Austria's electricity consumption (4,991 GWh) amounted to around 55%.
The reduced precipitation levels were reflected in the (seasonally reduced) generation of hydropower in the weeks of February. However, at 1,619 GWh, it still accounted for the lion's share of renewables at around 59%, even though its share in the production of renewables fell by 11% compared to 2024. Wind energy contributed 657 GWh to the generation of sustainable electricity (plus 3% in the share of renewables compared to February 2024), while the PV feed-in amounted to 293 GWh (plus 6%).
Gas-fired power plants essential for a secure electricity supply
As in the previous months, February - a month with low renewable generation and high electricity consumption - emphasized the key role that gas-fired power plants still play in securing the electricity supply: In addition to extensive electricity imports to cover the electricity demand in Austria, the use of thermal power plants to secure the domestic electricity supply and avert grid bottlenecks was also necessary.
"The operation of thermal power plants is an essential lever for securing the domestic electricity supply against the background of the delayed expansion of the transmission grid in phases with dark doldrums and grid bottlenecks. More efficient national electricity grids and a good international network are the prerequisites for being able to cover the national electricity demand during such periods through imports from the European internal market. Due to the delayed grid expansion, a secure grid reserve is essential for Austria's security of supply," says APG’s CTO Gerhard Christiner.
No energy transition without a strong electricity grid
A strong grid is necessary to make the volatile, renewable electricity in Europe available on a national level and to transport it to where it is needed. To avoid grid overloads and ensure a secure supply, the electricity flow is managed with redispatch measures, i.e., the targeted use of controllable power plants.
In February 2025, interventions in the schedule of power plants in Austria were necessary on 18 days to avoid overloads of the grid. This is 8 days more than in February 2024. These interventions cause costs that eventually have to be borne by the electricity customers. In February 2025, these costs totaled approximately 4.1 million euros. These costs reflect the lack of grid capacities.
These figures illustrate the need for a modern, resilient, overall energy system with, above all, a high-capacity transmission grid infrastructure.
Energy exchange within Austria
The exchange of energy across Austria is managed via APG’s transmission grid. Electricity surpluses in individual provinces can thus be distributed throughout Austria to compensate for deficits.
In February, Vorarlberg (158 GWh) and Carinthia (152 GWh) fed the highest volumes of energy into the APG grid and thus made it available throughout Austria. Lower Austria (228 GWh) and Carinthia (172 GWh) drew the most electricity from the APG grid.
Responsible electricity consumption
The available data show that 4,991 GWh of electricity were consumed from the public grid in Austria in February (calendar weeks 6-9) - around 4 percent more than in February 2024 (4,809 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.
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 for a secure energy transition.
Press contact
Christoph Schuh
