In recent years, the drastic impacts of climate change on various regions worldwide have become increasingly evident. In the Alps, climate warming has led to a significant reduction in glaciers and snow, loss of permafrost, increased risk of natural hazards, shifting ecosystems, as well as precipitation extremes and drought periods. In this blog post, we…

In 2023, the world reached, for the first time, an annual average temperature approximately 1.5°C higher than in pre-industrial times (6). It is evident that there is an urgent need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tirol continues to heavily rely on hydropower for implementing its energy strategy, with the expansion of the Kaunertal power…

For those who may be new, we want to summarize the Kaunertal Power Plant Expansion project in the Tyrolean Oberland. Be sure to check out our video, where Marianne Götsch from WWF explains the project (German audio with English subtitles). The basic plan is to “expand” the existing Kaunertal pumped storage power plant, or rather,…

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the Kaunertal Power Plant Expansion project has been ongoing for over 10 years. This update provides an overview of the current status. In 2012, TIWAG submitted the permit application and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the Tyrolean Regional Government. The documents were first reviewed, and in 2013,…

Hydropower is often referred to as “clean” or “green” energy. However, it’s essential to make a clear distinction: While hydropower is indeed one of the renewable energy sources, in most cases, it is unfortunately neither environmentally friendly nor sustainable – far from being “green.” The scientific consensus now acknowledges that hydroelectric power has significant environmental…