Bernhard Painz

Mag. Bernhard Painz was born in St. Pölten in 1974. After graduating with a degree in law, he started his career as an assistant at the Institute of State and Administrative Law at the University of Vienna. From 2001 to 2003, he worked as Legal Officer at the European Court of human rights in Strasbourg.

From 2004, Painz worked for the regulatory authority E-Control, first as an employee of the Legal Department (2004-2011), then as deputy head of the legal department (2011–2012), and finally as head of the gas department (2013–2018). In this role, he played a major role in further developing the gas market and the security of supply.

Bernhard Painz has been an Executive Board member of AGGM Austrian Gas Grid Management AG, the market and distribution area manager for the Austrian gas market, since May 2018. In this role, he is responsible for grid access & capacities and legal & compliance. Under his leadership, several important initiatives have been launched and successfully implemented to promote renewable gases and the transition to clean energy:  

• ONE100: Austria’s Sustainable Energy System – 100% Decarbonised is an AGGM study that models a fully climate-neutral energy system for Austria. It shows that a decarbonised energy system is not feasible without green gases such as biomethane and hydrogen.
• inGRID – the innovative feed-in map for renewable gases: a digital tool for overseeing and planning feed-in options for biomethane and hydrogen in the Austrian gas grid, which allows for transparency and efficient grid planning.
• H2 Roadmap for Austria: Strategic initiative to develop a parallel hydrogen infrastructure for Austria based on the existing gas network.

In addition, he played a central role in procuring the strategic gas reserve for Austria, which significantly strengthened the country’s security of supply. Bernhard Painz is a regular speaker at national and international energy conferences, where he contributes his expertise on regulatory, legal and infrastructural issues in the energy sector. 

“The transition to clean energy must not mean choosing between molecules and electrons – it is about intelligently combining both worlds. Renewable gases are climate-neutral, storable and transportable – hydrogen, biomethane and synthetic methane are therefore essential for security of supply, Austria as a business location, and seasonal flexibility. When combined with expanding the generation of renewable electricity, this forms the backbone of a sustainable energy system. With its high-performance gas infrastructure and storage facilities, Austria is uniquely placed not only to master its own transformation, but also to establish itself as a hub for renewable energy sources in the European Union. AGGM sees itself as a co-creator and coordinator: with the H2 Roadmap for Austria, we have created a roadmap for the needs-based development of a high-performance hydrogen network. This will enable Austria to redefine its role in the European energy system – no longer as a consumer of fossil fuels, but as a bridge-builder and backbone for renewable energy flows in Europe.”

— Bernhard Painz