Renewable energies - Districts and municipalities get involved in energy production
The first districts in Bavaria are joining forces with their municipalities to generate renewable energy. The Free State of Bavaria has brought movement into the matter. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Munich, since an amendment to the Climate Protection Act around a year ago, districts have also been allowed to become "comprehensively active in the field of renewable energy generation". Furthermore, local authorities no longer have to limit their energy generation to their own needs.
"So it was time for our district to play its part in the energy transition and stable energy prices," says Oberallgäu District Administrator Indra Baier-Müller (Free Voters). Oberallgäu has been dealing with this topic since the beginning of 2023 and, like the district of Cham in the Upper Palatinate, is currently in the middle of founding a municipal energy company. This refers to a company that is operated by a district together with towns and municipalities and is dedicated to the generation of renewable energy.
First municipal companies are founded
The district council has now decided to establish the Oberallgäu energy company, and 21 of 28 subordinate municipalities have joined so far. Baier-Müller sees clear advantages in cooperation, especially for large-scale projects. An energy company compensates for spatial and financial differences. "Not every municipality can afford its own wind turbine," says Baier-Müller. It is not yet clear which project will be implemented where.
There is also movement on the topic of energy generation in the district of Cham. In May, the district founded Regionalwerke Landkreis Cham GmbH together with four other municipalities, which in turn prepared the foundation of a municipal energy company. According to the district administration office, a total of 37 out of 39 municipalities have already signaled their approval to join.
Thanks to the preliminary work of the municipal company, the district of Cham is one step ahead of Oberallgäu: the regional plants have "projects with varying degrees of development maturity - from preliminary inquiries to technically and economically fully planned", a spokesperson for the district administration office explains. As in Oberallgäu, the main focus in the Cham district will be on storing the energy generated in addition to photovoltaic systems and wind power.
Other districts want to follow soon
The Upper Bavarian district of Traunstein is also looking into the generation of renewable energy. On its behalf, Chiemgau GmbH investigated the expansion potential in the region, according to the district administration. In cooperation with the district of Mühldorf, a wind measurement is also currently taking place in order to create a sound basis for decision-making in the area of wind power.
According to the ministry spokesperson, it is not known how many districts are also debating the establishment of a municipal energy company throughout Bavaria. However, one of these countless districts is Unterallgäu. According to the district administration office, decisions on the topic of a municipal energy company will be made here over the course of the coming year.
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Source: www.stern.de
