Irish Regions Office Website

August 07, 2009

New local energy action supports

ELENA (European Local Energy Assistance), the technical assistance facility launched by the Commission and the European Investment Bank under the EU Covenant of Mayors initiative and within the budget of the Intelligent Energy - Europe (IEE) Programme, will be operational during the second half of 2009. ELENA will assist cities and regions in developing their sustainable energy investments projects and mobilising investments. EUR15 million will be provided to local authorities for financing their technical assistance costs associated with the development of eligible municipal investment projects or programmes contributing to the overall EU energy targets. Sustainable energy projects eligible under ELENA can focus on a variety of sectors, such as retrofitting of public and private buildings, sustainable building, energy-efficient district heating and cooling networks, or environmentally-friendly transport.

Meanwhile, a second phase of ManagEnergy, the European Commission initiative to support the work of actors working on energy efficiency and renewable energies at the local and regional level through information, training, workshops, online events and networking, has been approved. A new tender is due to be launched in August to enhance the ManagEnergy website and to further develop the services provided to public authorities, their energy agencies, and other local and regional actors in urban and in rural areas. Services will be adapted to address the implementation of the Climate Change & Energy Package 2020 targets - providing technical support; working with local decision makers and to mobilise investment for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects; and organising capacity building workshops. The fully functioning network, which will welcome new membership applications, should be up-and-running by the end of this year - in the meantime a scaled-down website will continue to be available.

This approach will complement the Covenant of Mayors and the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign. The number of structures supporting the Covenant continues to grow with the Energie-Cites and METREX (Network of Metropolitan Regions and Areas) networks recently joining the fold. Their support is expected to add the commitment of many new local authorities to the commitment to step up the effort in reducing CO2 emissions and enhancing cleaner and more efficient energy.

ELENA
New ManagEnergy management tools and resources for energy actions
Covenant of Mayors

Posted by iroronan at August 7, 2009 10:18 AM