Municipal Energy Plans: How Communities Can Effectively Work with Engaged Experts.

The presence of an energy management system in a community is a mandatory condition for receiving state support (assistance) for implementing energy-efficient measures. This is required by the Law of Ukraine 'On Energy Efficiency'.

To encourage more communities to work towards sustainable energy supply, the Ministry of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure of Ukraine has developed a Methodology for Local Energy Plans. According to it, all Ukrainian communities must develop and approve Local Energy Plans (LEPs) — documents that define the direction of their energy development until 2030.

The law states that communities must adopt LEPs by October 21, 2024.

But what should those communities do that lack qualified specialists for this task?

Lydia Parkhomenko, a specialist at the RcErBs Foundation specializing in developing strategic documents, explains how and under what conditions the Foundation can help.

Since early 2017, the RcErBs Foundation has assisted 58 small and medium-sized communities in Ukraine, which have developed and approved over 100 strategic documents.

Lydia is currently coordinating several communities working with experts to develop Municipal Energy Plans, also known as Local Energy Plans (LEPs).

"The need for communities to develop LEPs gradually reaches all executive bodies. However, the lack of specialists is a real problem, particularly for small communities," confirms Lydia Parkhomenko.

In this case, the specialist notes, the Methodology for developing Local Energy Plans, according to the order of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure of Ukraine dated December 21, 2023, No. 1163, provides:

"The Municipal Working Group ensures the planning and coordination of the development of the municipal energy plan project and local program, organizes and ensures the collection of all necessary initial data, and, if necessary, initiates the involvement of independent expert organizations (experts) and interested parties in the development process, organizes and ensures the public discussion and revision of the municipal energy plan project...".

As a public organization, the RcErBs Foundation initiated the project "Organizing Cooperation of Small Towns of Ukraine, Civil Society, and the Expert Community on Energy Security Issues" on April 21, 2017, with the initiative of 24 communities, experts, scientists, and with donor support. This project was continued after the start of Russia's military aggression with the "SOMBRILLA" project. This project helps communities involve experts to develop much-needed plans.

In seven years, 127 legal entities have joined the memorandum of cooperation, almost 90% of which are communities from all regions of Ukraine.

Full information can be found at the link.