Additional fees for network use would lead to a drastic additional burden until 2004 for small hydropower, green electricity and PHC totalling 0.53 cent/KWh. The IV does not oppose the introduction of a nation-wide regulation, but rather its implementation. Lorenz Fritz: "Instead of creating free market instruments, a counterproductive law was created at the expense of the producing sector."

E-Control managing director Walter Boltz, however, speaks of still existing “substantial ambiguities” in the interpretation of the new set of rules. Thus, the law not only allows to reach the green electricity objectives by an unprecedented nation-wide adjustment of differences, meaning that the potentials can be used where they are available as cost-efficiently as possible, which would cut the total costs considerably.

Boltz: "Excessive forecasts with regard to the development of surcharges are based on the following mistake: the sum of the individual costs for green plants, small hydropower and power-heat coupling is never levied simultaneously, since in the first years the share of green plants is substantially below 4 percent, while the power-heat coupling is gradually reduced every two years."

According to E-Control, the Green Electricity Law will raise the total burden by approximately 0.45 cent/KWh; this would replace the existing burdens, which already now amount in Austria to an average of over 0.50 cent/KWh; only about 0.25 cent/KWh would be levied via a fee, the rest would have to be paid by power dealers. (Source: aqua press Int. 03/02)