Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - mPOWER (Municipal Action, Public Engagement and Routes TowardsEnergy Transition)

Teaser

MPOWER confronts the issue of how municipal authorities across Europe can best succeed in advancing the energy transition away from carbon-based fuels towards renewables. It involves an in-depth, wide-scale and systematic peer-to-peer learning programme across the...

Summary

MPOWER confronts the issue of how municipal authorities across Europe can best succeed in advancing the energy transition away from carbon-based fuels towards renewables. It involves an in-depth, wide-scale and systematic peer-to-peer learning programme across the continent’s municipal (as in local, sub-national) public authorities, in order to replicate innovative best practices in municipal energy and develop ambitious energy transition plans. Local action – particularly in urban areas which account for 75 per cent of Europe’s population – will be critical to tackling the climate emergency. In this respect, local municipal action, together with citizen participation and effective forms of public energy organisation, are key aspects of the project.
Some European cities, particularly in Germany, Denmark and France, have made innovations in energy sector management, from running distribution networks, new supply companies, and renewable generation, to facilitating citizen participation processes, to sourcing public/alternative finance for energy projects. Other cities across Europe are exploring their options for municipal energy and are looking to learn from examples of best practice elsewhere. mPOWER is mapping existing municipal energy policy and identifying innovations and best practice, as well as obstacles and barriers. A key concern is with overcoming the barriers facing municipal actors. To this end, the project’s core concern is encouraging peer-learning among municipalities and the adoption of successful strategies to achieve energy transition.
The overall objectives of the project are:
• To map and document best practice in municipal energy transition
• To undertake a European wide peer learning initiative to disseminate best practice
• To accelerate the process of energy transition across European municipalities.

Work performed

The project has completed an initial survey and preliminary analysis of the condition of energy transition across European municipalities. From this, a total of 96 responses across 24 countries was recorded with 21 cases from Eastern European municipalities. The survey and a subsequent round of interviews with selected municipalities have been used to develop a typology of cases to assist our peer-to-peer learning packages.
Using this typology, we have ranked municipalities in terms of ‘leading’; ‘following’ and ‘aspiring’, based on their scores in relation to experience with renewable energy; commitment to democratic practice and engaging citizens, awareness of constraints and blockages, and energy efficiency and reduction. This ranking was then used to select participants for subsequent peer-to-peer learning activities. Following a round of qualitative telephone interviews to identify the learning needs of municipalities, 27 municipalities have been selected for peer-to-peer exchange learning programmes with a strong presence of Eastern European cities. These exchanges have been organised into learning groups exploring one of the three themes: renewables, energy efficiency and local energy communities. Initial meetings of these groups have taken place with further study visits and meetings planned for face-to-face and online learning programmes in 2020.
Our initial findings suggest a high level of motivation among municipalities to deliver on energy transition targets, with carbon reduction being the leading factor for pursuing transition agendas. The research so far indicates considerable national level constraints and blockages that municipalities face in pursuing ambition carbon reduction and transition strategies but also considerable innovation in overcoming these blockages. Transition achievements seem higher where there is considerable sustained national commitment, allied with local actors having considerable devolved powers and municipal governance and ownership capacities.
ansition achievements seem higher where there is considerable sustained national commitment, allied with local actors having considerable devolved powers and municipal governance and ownership capacities.

Final results

A key difficulty for many municipalities is a lack of strategic capacity, resources and also finance in pursuing climate mitigation strategies and achieving targets. For many municipalities, a core focus has been on repurposing public assets, infrastructures and buildings that are under their control. On the other hand, a major obstacle to transition appears to be related to private buildings and assets, which are typically less controllable for municipal authorities even if the will for transition is present. The potential for new forms of public energy organisation that circumvent some of the resistance encountered by private actors is also a key emerging theme.
Our findings suggest that the vast majority of municipalities are now involved in producing their own renewable forms of energy, with solar power and biomass being particularly prevalent. The opportunity to use biomass alongside CHP in district heating systems seems to be a popular option for both producing energy and improving efficiencies. While municipalities as a whole do not seem to have advanced far in terms of more technologically sophisticated smart grid systems and networks, there are some excellent and innovative examples emerging in the retro-fitting of buildings that might be replicable elsewhere as forms of best practice.
By drawing upon and sharing examples of best practice through the remainder of the project, it is anticipated that the peer-to-peer learning aspects will help to disseminate innovative solutions to energy transition elsewhere. Developing further analysis of the blockages and constraints encountered and the creative strategies that municipalities develop – including constructing new forms of finance and new partnerships with other actors – will be key elements of the remainder of the project.

Website & more info

More info: https://municipalpower.org/.