21.06.2024
Source: Energie & Management Powernews
In the implementation of municipal heat planning, Bavaria supports inter-municipal concepts. The procedure is to be kept as simple as possible
Cities and municipalities in Bavaria - as in other federal states - are now obliged to draw up heat plans as a result of the implementation of the Heat Planning Act under state law. The Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, Hubert Aiwanger (Freie Wähler), says he wants to make this additional task "as uncomplicated as possible".
The minister wants to make targeted use of the scope for simplifying the process and exploit synergy effects in the Free State of Bavaria. As an example of an instrument for this, he mentions the possibility of jointly creating cross-municipal heating plans. This means that heat potential can also be used across municipal boundaries.
The ministry says that this is the only way that local energy potential, such as deep geothermal energy, which is widespread in the Munich area, can be developed economically or used efficiently. "At the same time, the planning task will be spread across several shoulders, which will make things easier for the many smaller municipalities in particular," said the politician.
Aiwanger believes that joining together individual municipalities to form "planning convoys" is a sensible preparatory measure for the upcoming heat planning. However, he added, it is often difficult to obtain the necessary energy-related information beyond the municipal boundaries. "On the other hand, this is precisely what forms a crucial basis for the formation of planning convoys."
New support service for brief expert opinions
In order to remedy the information deficit, the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs is now offering a specific support service. Aiwanger: "There is no one-size-fits-all solution for planning a suitable convoy. That's why we are subsidizing short expert reports with up to 80 percent of the costs." This would provide local authorities with a qualified basis for deciding whether and in which setting a convoy would be advisable.
The preparation of preliminary analyses for convoy formation - so-called "short energy utilization plans" - will be funded for a maximum project duration of three months. In this way, the period until the municipal heat planning comes into force at state level is to be used sensibly.
The state Ministry of Economic Affairs has compiled up-to-date information on the new funding approach on its support platform "Enponline". There you can also find detailed service descriptions to support the municipalities in awarding the new service.
Author: Davina Spohn
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