New Approaches in Municipal Energy Planning. An Action-Orientated Program with a Collaborative Approach in the City of Graz, Austria

Boris Papousek and Stefan Kirchpal, Energievertungsagentur
Karl-Heinz Lesch, Department of Environmental Protection, Municipality of Graz

Keywords

Abstract

The Municipal Energy Plan of the city of Graz (KEK Graz) aims at a 50% reduction of CO2-emissions by 2010. It is designed as a program for simultaneously improving the environment and stimulating the economy and it has been under preparation since summer 1994. The Energy Plan is intended as an action orientated program which goes beyond traditional concepts. The key question is, how measures can be put into practice successfully:

(a) The effort is not limited to the evaluation of data and of technical energy saving potentials. The focus is rather on the detailed analysis of measures, barriers and instruments to overcome these barriers.

(b) Pilot projects and action programs have been part of the project from the very beginning.

(c) Five teams of representatives from utilities, local authorities, companies, NGOs etc. were formed to organize the process of working out the concept, the projects and the action plan in a collaborative way.

Besides the realization of strong regulatory instruments - such as the compulsory use of district heating and restrictions for the use of fossil fuels in certain areas of Graz - cooperation and development of concrete projects with utilities and important institutions are put in the foreground.

The goals, the regulatory requirements and fust results in terms of developed instruments and started projects will be presented in this paper. Special focus will be put on the experiences in the process of developing the energy plan.