Carinthia network area: Project team draws positive overall balance after successful information fairs
Grid area Carinthia is one of the most important energy infrastructure projects of the coming decades - an opportunity of the century for Carinthia and East Tyrol. It strengthens the economic and living environment, secures the electricity supply and the energy transition, enables the additional feed-in of electricity from renewable energy and consistently drives decarbonization. Following the public presentation of the Grobtrasse at the end of September, the two project cooperation partners Austrian Power Grid (APG) and Kärnten Netz GmbH (KNG) stepped up the exchange with municipalities, landowners and citizens: At eight information fairs, from October 6 to 16, around 40 APG & Kärnten Netz experts provided information about the project and the route of the Grobtrasse directly on site.
After the eight information fairs held, the project managers paint a positive picture: "In the last two weeks, we have provided a lot of information, explained and also listened to a lot and shown where the rough route runs and why. The further planning steps were also presented in detail by our team of experts on site. The very high level of public interest in the information fairs confirms that our approach was absolutely right. After all, early information and a transparent exchange with the public are essential for a project of this magnitude to succeed," explain APG project manager Wolfgang Hafner and KNG project manager Gernot Kowatsch.
Great interest in information and personal dialog on site
The public showed great interest in the information events and around 2,500 visitors took the opportunity over the past two weeks to find out more about the project at first hand, talk to experts from APG and KNG and voice their own concerns. Numerous residents of the communities in the project area came to the information fairs to find out about the planned route, the reasons for an overhead line, the consideration of health aspects in the planning, nature conservation issues and the energy policy framework. The exchange with the landowners along the planned line was particularly important. Many of them used the event to obtain personal advice for the first time and to leave their contact details. Initial information, e.g. on groundwater sources and access routes, was also entered directly into the respective maps. This important information now forms the basis for the next steps and facilitates direct communication for the planning of mast locations and access routes. At the same time, however, the information fairs are only the prelude to further intensive discussions, some of which have already been arranged for the coming weeks. "The exchange of information and the dialog were intensive, constructive and positive. We also received a lot of approval for the great importance of the project for the living and economic area of Carinthia. There was also extremely positive feedback for our information format and the organization of the information fairs," concluded Hafner and Kowatsch.
The information series took place from 6 to 16 October in the afternoons in Lienz, Berg, Spittal and Paternion, in the Congress Center Villach, in the Stadtsaal Feldkirchen and in the Fuchspalast in St. Veit as well as in the Neue Burg in Völkermarkt. The mayors and their municipal councils were invited from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and the citizens from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The successful format of the information fairs will be continued in the future and offered to the municipalities as the project progresses.
The new information portal: citizens are digitally informed and actively involved
In addition to personal discussions on site, Netzraum Kärnten also offers a comprehensive range of information and services. The information portal www.netzraumkaernten.at provides access to the current planning status and an interactive map at any time. More than 13,000 visitors have already accessed the portal since the end of September 2025. Visitors can also submit specific local information on access routes, groundwater sources, etc. digitally. The feedback already received shows that the population is looking for dialog and appreciates the opportunity to get involved. The information obtained is valuable for further project planning. From the perspective of the project management, the Carinthia grid area project is already an example of how the energy transition and public participation can go hand in hand.
About Austrian Power Grid (APG)
As an independent transmission system operator, Austrian Power Grid (APG) is responsible for ensuring a secure 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 thus reduce import dependency, act as a platform for the electricity market, create access to affordable electricity and thus form the basis for a secure supply and sustainable business and living location. The APG grid extends over a route length of around 3,500 km, which the company operates and maintains with a team of around 1,000 specialists and continuously adapts to the increasing demands of the electrification of society, business and industry. The majority of the 67 substations distributed throughout Austria are operated remotely from the control center in Vienna. Thanks to our dedicated employees, the security of supply was again 99.99% in 2024, putting us among the world leaders. Our investments of EUR 630 million in 2025 (2024: EUR 440 million, 2023: EUR 490 million) are an economic driver and a key component in achieving Austria's energy targets. APG will invest a total of around 9 billion euros in grid expansion and conversion by 2034.
About Kärnten Netz
As a distribution system operator, KNG-Kärnten Netz GmbH ensures a secure and reliable energy supply for its customers. Its main tasks include the planning, demand-oriented expansion, operation and maintenance of the electricity and gas grid as well as efficient fault management. With around 720 employees, Kärnten Netz manages transformer stations, 50 substations and an electricity grid that is around 18,600 km long.