Austria
AUTAustria has cleaned up its grid faster than most people realise.
Low-carbon electricity went from 64% to 84% in 20 years.
What this grid depends on
Three measures that say more about a country than how much power it makes. Open “what this means” on any of them if the term is new.
Among the cleanest electricity anywhere.
What this means
How much planet-warming gas is released to make one unit of electricity. Two countries can generate exactly the same amount and one of them be ten times dirtier doing it. Lower is better.
Austria buys in more electricity than it sends out.
What this means
The share of the electricity used here that was generated abroad and carried in over high-voltage lines. The higher it climbs, the more this country relies on a neighbour to keep its lights on.
Most of what this grid runs on is produced at home.
What this means
How much of what this grid runs on the country can supply itself. Sun, wind and water count fully, because nobody can cut them off; coal, gas and oil only as far as the country digs them up. A high score is not the same as a good grid: mining your own coal scores well, importing uranium scores badly.
Also true of Austria
Austria is first in the EU for hydro.
Hydro supplies 52% of its electricity.
Solar overtook wind on Austria's grid in 2025.
Today solar supplies 14% and wind 11%.
Solar overtook gas on Austria's grid in 2024.
Today solar supplies 14% and gas 12%.
Austria’s neighbours
CzechiaNuclear overtook coal on the Czechia's grid in 2023.
SwitzerlandSwitzerland gets next to none of its electricity from gas, in a region built on it.
HungarySolar overtook gas on Hungary's grid in 2024.
SlovakiaSlovakia is second in the world for nuclear.
ItalyItaly has cleaned up its grid faster than most people realise.
Figures are for 2025, the most recent year reported for Austria. Generation shares are a percentage of electricity generated, not of energy used. How this is calculated.