Thinking about the energy transition – First reference work for local authorities

In many places, German cities and municipalities are facing a dilemma: on the one hand, the municipal budget situation is precarious, while on the other, the energy transition requires considerable investment. The new reference work from the Agency for Renewable Energies (AEE) shows examples of how municipalities can overcome these challenges.
 

"Many municipalities are already reaching their limits financially and in terms of personnel simply by fulfilling their mandatory tasks," explains Dr. Robert Brandt, Managing Director of AEE. "There is often no capacity left for climate protection and energy transition projects on top."

This is where the new reference work "Piggybacking on the energy transition – How municipalities link their mandatory tasks with the energy transition" comes in.

Whether wastewater disposal, street cleaning, fire protection and fire departments, urban land-use planning or disaster control – the reference work shows how climate protection measures can be considered and implemented from the outset when dealing with mandatory municipal tasks. "The design of mandatory municipal tasks can thus be an important lever for initiating new sustainable projects," adds Brandt.

The reference work was created as part of the project of the same name, which is funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). "The energy transition is more than just the technical restructuring of our energy system – it is a task for society as a whole," says DBU Head of Environmental Technology Felix Gruber. The AEE compendium shows "impressively how diverse and creative cities, municipalities and districts are in taking on this challenge and tackling synergies between climate protection and mandatory municipal tasks."

Since 2008, the AEE has been awarding the "Energy Municipality of the Month". It presents particularly successful examples that creatively and innovatively exploit the opportunities for municipal action in the expansion of renewable energies. For example, renewables, charging stations for electric cars and local heating networks create added value and bring money into the municipal coffers through lease income, taxes and forms of participation.

The monthly award for an exemplary municipality has now resulted in a collection of more than 200 practical examples in a digital database. This forms the basis for the examples in the AEE's new reference work. They are supplemented by in-depth background information on municipal best practice examples as well as interviews with the companies Viessmann, Green Planet Energy and Enercon on their positive experiences of working with municipalities.

You can find many more practical examples in our database at energy-municipalities.infinite-energy.com