The energy transition brings new challenges: How well is the Austrian power grid prepared for the possibility of a blackout, i.e. the large-scale failure of the power grid over a longer period of time?

The Austrian Parliament commissioned the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology to conduct a study on this issue. The final report "Secure Power Supply and Blackout Prevention in Austria: Developments, Risks and Possible Protective Measures”, which has just been completed, is now available on Parliament's website. The ITA has also summarized the topic visually as an infographic.

The power grid needs flexibility

For Stefan Strauß, Senior Scientist at ITA, the focus is on reacting in time to major changes such as climate change or digitalization: "Climate change, digitalization and the energy transition bring structural changes to the power grid. We also see that the topic of "blackout" has gained in importance. In order to ensure security of supply in the future, we need to implement precautionary measures to safeguard the power system and improve response capabilities in the event of a crisis," said Strauß.

Another important component for safeguarding security of supply in the future is a forward-looking safeguarding of reserve capacities as a whole: "In order to better integrate new technologies such as electromobility and decentralized photovoltaic systems into the power grid, we should make the grids fit for the future and create additional flexibility in the system," emphasizes ITA-researcher Steffen Bettin, who was part of the project team.