Day 2: Thursday, 19 September 2013

How does the energy system need to be designed in order to ensure a sustainable energy supply for our society? The global challenges set by energy policy are clearly defined: Reaching the climate protection goal of limiting global warming to 2° Celsius, making conventional energy supply accessible to 1.3 billion people, and meeting the global demand for energy that will increase by a third by 2035. For the energy industry, this means a fundamental change of the existing system. The focal point of this session will be analysing the necessary steps for the restructuring of the energy system. Grids, generation, storage, efficiency, costs: In what order should the restructuring take place? What do consumers and suppliers need to keep in mind? What can we afford, what do we want to afford?

Reinhard Grünwald, Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament

Peter Koren, Deputy Director General, Federation of Autrian Industries

Werner Muhm, Director, Austrian Chamber of Labour Vienna

Eveline Steinberger-Kern, Head of Sector Energy CEE, Siemens AG Österreich

Gerald Steindlegger, Managing Director, WWF Austria

Kirsten Westphal, Scientist, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Wind and solar power plants are becoming more powerful and efficient and their percentage in power generation is increasing. Mostly, though, they generate power where it isn’t needed. Also, the fundamental problem of weather dependency remains. In order to bridge periods of inadequate power generation, efficient storage devices and power lines are necessary.

In an animated discussion, experts will discuss much-needed grid expansion and storage facilities today and in the future. How can grid expansion be accelerated? Can electricity be stored reliably nowadays? What storage alternatives are available now and in the foreseeable future?

Jochen Homann, President, Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway

There is now doubt about it anymore: Mobility is becoming electric: We now come across electric vehicles more and more frequently, electricity recharging points are becoming part of the urban landscape. However, electromobility still isn’t a mass market. This goal requires fundamental changes. The concern of the customers regarding the limited vehicle range, their long charging time, the difficult price comparison with conventional vehicles, the insufficient expansion of the electromobility network and last but not least the consumers’ mobility patterns are the major challenges for the spread of electromobility at the moment.

The challenge is now upon all players involved in this development.Their cooperation and the necessary political conditions for the development of an electromobility mass market will be the central topic of this session. How can changes in people’s mobility pattern be achieved in the long run?

Cosmas Asam, Vice President M&A, Cooperation Management, Economics, Traffic and　Environment, BMW group

Cosmas Asam, Vice President M&A, Cooperation Management, Economics, Traffic and Environment, BMW Group

Michael Viktor Fischer, Managing Director, E-mobility Provider Austria GmbH & Co KG

Rob Legdeur, Project Manager Electric Mobility, Municipality of Amsterdam

Lydia Ninz, Secretary General, ARBÖ

Andreas Pfeiffer, Managing Director, Hubject GmbH

Klaus Pseiner, Managing Director, Austrian Research Promotion Agency - FFG

Improving energy efficiency is becoming a vital aspect of all areas of energy consumption. In addition, the European Council has decided to increase energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. Different studies prove that the technologies and organisational approaches available today have the economic potential to allow for 20 to 30 percent final energy savings compared to the trend. The required technologies exist and there is plenty of potential.

This session will analyse the unused potential when it comes to energy efficiency.
What are the barriers and obstacles hindering the implementation of a consequent energy efficiency strategy? What changes do politics, society and the economy have to undergo in order to exploit this potential? What incentives and business models can promote efficient energy use?

Philip E. Lewis, CEO and Founder, VaasaETT Oy Ab Ltd.

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Manfred Fischedick, Vice President, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy GmbH 

Franz Küberl, President, Caritas Österreich

Dr. Barbara Schmidt, Secretary General, Oesterreichs Energie

Dr. Peter Schwab, Head of Research and Development, voestalpine AG