Pioneering project

Full energy for independence

Melk's mayor Patrick Strobl visited Jost Berger at the small power plant in the Herrenmühle in Spielberg. Here, water provides an environmentally friendly energy supply.(Bild: Franz Crepaz)

Regional power supply and climate protection: the Melk region shows how it's done. Mayor Patrick Strobl on plans for the future.

Pioneering work: the Melk Region Energy Community was founded back in 2022. It now has 245 association members and 188 actively (energy) exchanging plants. Co-initiator Patrick Strobl, Mayor of the town of Melk: "The motto 'Don't drive away, buy local' also applies to the energy supply. The electricity comes from renewable sources in the neighborhood." The community is making a major contribution to the promotion of electricity production, partly due to its rapid growth. And it also pays off for private individuals: Households can save up to 28 percent on grid fees because the electricity is produced and consumed regionally.

In the fall, another energy community was founded, namely the one for the old town of Melk. Strobl: "Climate protection is one of the most important issues now, especially in times when natural disasters are occurring more and more frequently. That's why it's a priority for me to make Melk climate-neutral."

Energy from the fire department and the school
This community draws surplus energy from the photovoltaic systems of the elementary school, the business park and the Melk fire department. Another energy supplier is the Herrenmühle small hydroelectric power plant in Spielberg, built by engineer Jost Berger. The power plant supplies around 500,000 kilowatts of electricity to the low-voltage grid every year. The hydropower comes from the Pielach, where 3,000 liters per second are fed into the Francis turbine. Since September last year, the power plant has been feeding into the Melk citizens' energy community.

The expansion of the communities is continuing. And by 2040, the town of Melk should be climate-neutral ...