Integrated heating and cooling plans for groups of municipalities

Objective

Supports local and regional authorities to develop and deliver actionable and integrated Local Heating and Cooling Plans (LHCPs) as effective instruments for clean and sustainable energy planning and investment. Heating and cooling account for about half of final energy use in the EU, around 70% of which still comes from imported fossil fuels. The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED Article 25) requires LHCPs in municipalities with populations above 45,000. LHCPs guide long-term decisions on policies, infrastructure and investments for a just and efficient shift to decarbonised buildings and integrated energy systems.

Areas of intervention

• Building technical skills and expertise to prepare, finance, implement and monitor LHCPs
• Collecting granular and context-specific geospatial, technical, climatic and socio-economic data for the preparation of LHCPs
• Developing comprehensive outlooks for energy demand and supply and identifying spatially tailored decarbonisation measures (heating and cooling networks in urban and industrial areas, low-temperature renewable energy and waste-heat sources)
• Identifying and assessing financing options for LHCP measures, considering public and private funding, local and regional budgets, energy costs for end users, social acceptance and the needs of energy-poor households
• Running participatory processes to streamline planning and administrative procedures (including permitting), to address regulatory barriers, and to engage key stakeholders
• Coordinating LHCPs with electricity and heating-and-cooling distribution network and infrastructure development plans, and where relevant with decommissioning plans for natural gas networks
• Establishing structured dialogue and collaboration with competent regional and national authorities, including to inform NECPs and the National Comprehensive Heating and Cooling Assessments

What this means for cities and regions

The most direct LIFE CET entry point for municipalities and regions — explicitly aimed at supporting them to deliver LHCPs under EED Article 25. Funded projects help local authorities build the data, planning capacity, financing analysis and stakeholder networks needed to plan a fossil-free, integrated heating and cooling system across their territory. Consortia of 3 partners from 3 countries; topic budget €6.5M at 95% co-financing.