Municipalities as change agents? Reconsidering roles and policies in local energy sector-coupling

Abstract

Municipalities play an important role in the energy transition process by implementing and advancing policy measures for climate protection at the local level. However, available options and technologies for the integration and defossilization of electricity, heating, industry and mobility are diverse and complex. Considering the interplay of societal action, technical options, individual values, decision-making processes, and available policy measures to defossilize the energy system, the municipality takes on a critical role in coordination and creating transparency. Addressing these challenges in the theoretical light of the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and the Policy Mix Approach (PMA), the authors develop a classification system of policy instruments and measures for municipal action in fostering sector coupling activities. The main argument is that municipalities dispose of considerable scope of action with several roles they can play in order to orchestra the transition. The study relies empirically on desk research as well as workshops with local actors in three municipalities in the field of sector coupling in Germany. The aim was to identify multidimensional potentials for municipal action in order to develop effective and efficient policy packages by developing a classification system. The results contribute to a structured basis for the discourse on energy transition in municipalities and are a central building block for a horizontal and vertical coordination in the development of a sector coupling strategy.