Austria

===Infrastructure and natural resources===
{{Main|Transport in Austria|Wind power in Austria|Renewable energy in the European Union}}

[[File:Verbund malta.jpg|thumb|The [[Kölnbrein Dam]] in [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthia]]]]
In 1972 the country began construction of a [[nuclear power plant]] to produce electricity at [[Zwentendorf]] on the River [[Danube]], following a unanimous vote in parliament. However, in 1978 a [[referendum]] voted approximately 50.5 percent against nuclear power, 49.5 percent for,<ref>Lonnie Johnson 168–169</ref> and parliament subsequently unanimously passed a law forbidding the use of nuclear power to generate electricity although the nuclear power plant had already finished.

Austria currently produces more than half of its electricity by [[hydropower]].<ref name="RES">{{Cite web |date=23 January 2008 |title=Austria Renewable Energy Fact Sheet |url=http://www.energy.eu/renewables/factsheets/2008_res_sheet_austria_en.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081934/http://www.energy.eu/renewables/factsheets/2008_res_sheet_austria_en.pdf |archive-date=20 June 2009 |access-date=20 May 2009 |website=Europe's Energy Portal }}</ref> Together with other [[renewable energy]] sources such as [[wind power]], [[solar power]], and [[biomass]], the electricity supply from renewable energy amounts to 62.89 percent.<ref name="Renewables">{{Cite web |date=2006 |title=Renewable energy in Europe |url=http://www.energy.eu/renewables/eu-charts/chart4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520023020/http://www.energy.eu/renewables/eu-charts/chart4.html |archive-date=20 May 2009 |access-date=20 May 2009 |publisher=Europe's Energy Portal}}</ref>

Compared to most European countries, Austria is ecologically well endowed. Its [[biocapacity]] (or biological [[natural capital]]) is more than double of the world average: In 2016 Austria had 3.8 global hectares<ref name="GFN">{{Cite web |title=Country Trends |url=http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=11&type=BCpc,EFCpc |access-date=16 October 2019 |publisher=Global Footprint Network |archive-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808050235/http://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/countryTrends?cn=11&type=BCpc,EFCpc |url-status=live }}</ref> of biocapacity per person within its territory, compared to the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person. By contrast, in 2016 they used 6.0 global hectares of biocapacity which amounts to Austria's [[ecological footprint]] of consumption. This means that Austrians use about 60 percent more biocapacity than Austria contains. As a result, Austria is running a biocapacity deficit.<ref name=GFN/>