German municipalities push ahead with mandatory heat‑plan roll‑out

Germany is accelerating municipal heat‑planning ahead of a legal mandate that takes effect in early 2024. Under the new federal law, cities with more than 100,000 residents – in Saxony‑Anhalt only Magdeburg and Halle – must submit a heat‑transition plan by June 2026, while all other municipalities have until June 2028.

The Kompetenzzentrum Kommunale Wärmewende (KWW) in Halle, led by Robert Brückmann, reports that most of the roughly 10,700 German municipalities are already in advanced stages, with many small towns already completing or actively working on their plans. Nationwide, around 7,000 heat plans are expected once the process is complete, as some municipalities collaborate on joint planning. The collected data will feed into decisions on grid infrastructure, investment incentives and renewable‑heat integration, aiming to eliminate gas‑ and oil‑based heat by 2045. Challenges remain for smaller communities that lack staff and resources, but they still have two years to meet the deadline. The rollout is creating new market dynamics for local utilities, project developers and large energy firms such as E.ON and Vattenfall.