Storm 'Niklas' brings windfalls to wind energy production in Austria

The storm "Niklas" that passed through much of Central-Western Europe earlier in the week brought with it a new record for wind energy production in Austria.
Transmission grid operator Austrian Power Grid (APG) told the Austria Press Agency on Thursday that wind power of a capacity of 2001 megawatts (MW) was recorded on March 31, the first time that the 2000 MW mark has been exceeded in the country.
The total wind power capacity at the end of 2014 was 2095 MW, according to the Austrian Wind Energy Association. In the past few days the turbines in the country have almost always been operating at their maximum capacity due to winds brought about by the storm.
The previous record was reached on 20 December 2014, with 1840 MW recorded.
The APG said the electricity grid operation was kept steady throughout the storm, though the conditions posed greater challenges than on a normal day.