Niederösterreich leads Austria in wind energy with 830 turbines

Niederösterreich has become Austria’s leading state for wind energy, currently hosting 830 wind turbines. This development traces back to 1996 in Wolkersdorf, where the first wind turbine to feed electricity into the public grid was commissioned. Known affectionately as ‘Drahdiwaberl’, the original project was funded by 238 private individuals and initiated by the group Windkraft Wolkersdorf.

Manfred Schamböck, managing director of the Ökoenergie-Gruppe—which evolved from Windkraft Wolkersdorf and now operates 100 turbines—noted that early pioneers were often dismissed as ‘spinners’. Fritz Herzog, a project initiator and former president of the Interessensgemeinschaft Windkraft, emphasized that while decentralized private initiatives often face debate, the growth of renewable energy remains unstoppable.

The expansion of wind power varies significantly by region due to geographic conditions. While Niederösterreich has seen massive growth, Kärnten, which installed its first turbine in 1997, currently has only ten. Other states, including Vorarlberg, Tirol, and Salzburg, have no wind turbines installed to date.