Implementation of Local Energy Plans in Western Switzerland: Survey of the Current State and Possible Paths Forward

Abstract

To successfully reduce their climate impacts, cities need a clear strategical path to decrease their energy consumption and increase their use of renewable energy. Consequently, local energy plans have recently become popular, notably in western Switzerland. These plans propose different pathways towards the achievement of economic, social, and environmental energy objectives, often supported by an action plan describing the possible projects and policies necessary to enact these pathways. However, the implementations of these local energy plans show a strong variability in efficiency and effectiveness. In this study, we survey the state of the implementation of local energy plans in 57 municipalities in western Switzerland. Based on this survey, we make four concrete propositions to reduce the difficulties faced by cities during the implementation of local energy plans and we test these propositions in three partner cities. These new tools, which aim at reinforcing municipal energy policy, can now be reused by local administrations in the study area and beyond.