Deliverable D.T3.5.3 GUIDELINE: LINKING ENERGY ......ORGANIZATIONS FOR VERTICAL AND HORZONTAL...

Deliverable D.T3.5.3

GUIDELINE: LINKING ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS FOR VERTICAL AND

HORZONTAL INTEGRATION

Activity:

A.T3.3 Developing tools and guidelines for vertical, horizontal and trans-

sectoral integration of energy and climate plans

August, 2019 v2

http://www.alpine-space.eu/imeas This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

through the Interreg Alpine Space programme 2

http://www.alpine-space.eu/imeas



DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET

Project reference

Full title of the project Integrated and Multi-level Energy models for the Alpine Space

Acronym IMEAS

Contract agreement n. N° 409

Duration 01.11.2016 – 31.12.2019

Project website www.alpine-space.eu/imeas

Project coordinator ENEA

Short Description

This guideline will describe how to institutionalize vertical and horizontal intergration of Energy organizations (agencies, associtation, institutes, and the like) at the local, district, regional, state, national, and European level.

Document Details

Title of document Guideline: Linking Energy Organizations for Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Action WP T3 Development of tools and guidelines to support integrated and harmonized models

Deliverable D.T3.5.3

Delivery date June 2019

File name IMEAS_Deliverable_DT3.5.3_190913_final.docx

Dissemination Public

Version Date Author Organization Description

V1.0 15.08.2017 Sandra Giglmaier B.A.U.M. 1st version

V2.0 13.09.2019 Anja Aschenbrenner

B.A.U.M. 2nd version

V3.0 22.11.2019 Anja Aschenbrenner

B.A.U.M. 3rd version




IMPRINT

This document is issued by the consortium formed for the implementation of the IMEAS project by the

following partners:

ENEA - Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l'energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile

RAEE - Rhônalpénergie-Environnement

EIV - Energieinstitut Vorarlberg

VLBG - Amt der Vorarlberger Landesregierung

FA - Fondazione per l’Ambiente T.Fenoglio ONLUS

KSSENA - Zavod Energetska agencija za Savinjsko, Šaleško in Koroško

MOC - Mestna občina Celje

PAT - Provincia Autonoma di Trento

BAUM - B.A.U.M. Consult GmbH München

eza! - Energie- & Umweltzentrum Allgäu gemeinnützige GmbH

CREM - Centre de Recherches Energetiques et Municipales

ISD - Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development

RESPONSIBLE PARTNER FOR THE COMPILATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

B.A.U.M. Consult GmbH

Gotzinger Str. 48-50, 81371 München, Deutschland

Phone: (+49) 831 960 286 20

Email: [email protected]

PROJECT LEAD PARTNER

Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA)

Strada per Crescentino 42, 13040 Saluggia, Italy

Phone: (+39) 0161 483410, +39 06 30487031

Email: [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]






CONTENT 1. Introduction – How to Drive Horizontal and Vertical Intergration of Energy Organizations ..................... 7

2. The Field of Energy Organizations at the Different Governance Levels ..................................................... 8

2.1 Energy Organizations at the Local/District Level................................................................................ 8

2.2 Energy Organizations at the Regional Level ....................................................................................... 9

2.3 Energy Organizations at the State Level ........................................................................................... 11

2.4 Energy Organizations at the National Level ..................................................................................... 13

2.5 Energy Organiziations at the European Level .................................................................................. 14

3. Classification of Energy Organizations according to the Assigned Tasks and Governance Levels ........... 15

3.1 Consultany Services: Addressing Target Groups (Citizens, Private Sector, Public Sector) and Energy

Organizations................................................................................................................................................ 15

3.2 Networking Services: Addressing Energy Organizations .................................................................. 17

4. Strategies for Vertical and Horizontal Integration ................................................................................... 18

4.1 Addressing the Organizational and Functional Framework ............................................................. 18

4.1.1 Bottom-Up Approach ............................................................................................................... 19

4.1.2 Top-Down Approach ................................................................................................................ 22

4.2 Adressing Activities and Providing Services ..................................................................................... 23

4.2.1 Top-Down Approach ................................................................................................................ 24

4.2.2 Bottom-Up Approach ............................................................................................................... 25

5. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................... 26

6. Appendix ................................................................................................................................................... 27




1. INTRODUCTION – HOW TO DRIVE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL INTERGRATION OF ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS

Energy organizations can significantly drive the transition towards a low carbon society. They are equipped

with tasks and duties which support local and regional energy planning and facilitate the implementation of

climate mitigation activities. Energy organizations mainly work at the local and regional level acting as an

intermediary between the public authorities, the relevant stakeholders, and the energy market.

As the IMEAS project clearly elaborates, the necessary actions have to be taken at the municipal and regional

levels to keep on track of the carbon mitigation targets. For that local and regional energy agencies can

represent crucial drivers. Which local or regional carbon mitigation pathway has to be pursued and will be

supported by those energy organizations, this depends largely on the energy policy and the climate

mitigation concept of the municipal or district governance level. Owing to structural reasons, regional

organizations often depend to certain extent on local or district authorities as well. The public authorities

may hold shares in the energy organization or they may provide grants to ensure their financial sustainability.

Thus, the scope of the energy organizations’ work and interactions greatly depend on the strategies,

concepts, and planning of the local and regional authorities, to sum up on the prevailing local and regional

energy policy.

Questioning the agents impacting the local and regional energy policy, a significant role has to be assigned

to those energy organizations likewise. Energy organizations work at the basis and are in touch with the

citizenship, the energy suppliers, and the private sector. The objective of the energy organizations’ work is

to make these target groups to take action. As a result of these efforts, energy organizations know very well

the framing and limiting conditions impeding and provoking the local and regional stakeholders to participate

and to implement carbon mitigation activities. The stakeholders give feedback to these energy organizations,

e.g. regarding supporting programs ought to be provided by the public administration, or with respect to

legal binding frameworks necessary to speed up efficiency gains or the use of renewable energy sources.

Energy organizations have the capacity to capture the needs and wants of the local and regional stakeholders

when striving for a low carbon energy transition. If energy organizations are able to forward the needed

framing conditions to the public authority, they can exert influence on the future energy planning and policy.

Accordingly, energy organizations are both driven by the framing energy policy and drivers of the very same.

To a certain extent, local and regional energy policies depend on the energy planning pathway and objectives

of the higher governance levels. The European carbon mitigation targets and energy transformation concepts

greatly impact the path and the means taken at the national level of the European member states. To bring

the targeted pathway into action, the national governance level has to establish an energy policy that

provides a supportive framework. This framework must enable mitigation actions and empower the

stakeholders to take action. In a cascade-like manner this national governance energy policy impacts the

state level energy policy, which in turn affects the municipal and district level energy planning and policy in

the same way. If it is to improve the local or regional framing conditions to speed up a low carbon energy

transition, the energy policy of both the municipal or district governance level and of the higher governance

levels have to be addressed.




Energy organizations are situated in the heart of this are of conflict issuing integrated energy planning and

appropriate means to take action. Though, energy organizations mainly exert influence on the municipal or

the district energy policy, there also exist strategies allowing energy organizations to have an effect at higher

governance levels. To lobby for low carbon energy strategies and integrated energy planning at the state,

national, or even EU-level, two types of strategies are available to vertically and horizontally integrate energy

organizations:

bottom-up approach: means and activities taken by energy organizations themselves

top-Down approach: means provided by the public authority

The following guideline will show how energy organizations can vertically and horizontally integrate and

thereby may exert influence on the energy policy and energy planning across the MLG model. For reasons of

simplicity and consistency, the term “energy organization” encompasses all prevailing types of organizational

frameworks, such as associations, networks, federations, and agencies.

2. THE FIELD OF ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE LEVELS

Since the guideline deals with the question of how energy organizations can vertically and horizontally

integrate across the policy silos, it is necessary to understand how the present energy organizations act at

which governance level. The tasks of the local, regional, state, national, and even EU-level energy

organizations indicate to what extent the diverse types of energy organizations are integrated within the

MLG-model. Making use of that classification, energy organizations can strive to modify their organizational

und functional framework to foster vertical and horizontal integration within the MLG model.

First, the guideline will examine the presently operating energy organizations across the governance levels.

Second, the energy organizations will be classified according to their tasks and with respect to their

governance levels. That classification allows to indicate the degree of vertical and horizontal integration

within and across the silos. And third, strategies addressing the vertical and horizontal integration of energy

organizations will be illustrated. The strategies build on the organizational and functional framework,

respectively tackle content-based issues energy organizations are dealing with. In both cases, the possible

strategies are split into two types of approaches, either following bottom-up or top-down activities.

2.1 ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE LOCAL/DISTRICT LEVEL

Energy organizations at the local or district level are mostly non-profit associations, some of them initiated

from an active citizenship participating in the field of low carbon energy transition. Locally rooted efforts

promoting the use of renewable energies or the implementation of efficiency measures may then provoke

the district government to support the formation of a non-profit association facilitating a low carbon energy

transition. The district itself and the municipalities belonging to that very district often become members of

that newly formed non-profit energy association. Thereby, the local and district administrations may exert

influence on the tasks and the duties which the energy association has to fulfill at the local and district

territory. If the local public administrations are members of or even have shares in such types of non-profit

energy associations, the belonging municipalities and districts often contribute to the energy organization’s

financial sustainability. Thus, such local or district-based energy associations are not constrained to offer




services for the creation of financial income, and are rather capable to carry out actions that do not

contribute to monetary return.

As to this organizational framework, the tasks of such non-profit association can be described as follows:

energy consultation free of charge

campaigns and public relation on energy issues

network of experts with qualification and training offers

educational offers (with schools and kindergarten)

Good examples of such energy organizations located at the local or district level are:

ZIEL21 e.V, a non-profit association located at the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, Bavaria, Germany,

http://www.energiewende-landkreis-ffb.de/

Energiewende Landkreis Starnberg e.V., a non-profit association located at the district of Starnberg,

Bavaria, Germany https://www.energiewende-sta.de/

Additionally, energy organizations may work at the local or district level as a subsidiary of a greater level

organization. In that case, the business activitites of the greater ogranization determine and drive the tasks

and duties of the locally operating energy organization. Such an organizational framework may enable the

local or district energy organizations to provide more professional energy consulation services, such as:

municipal energy management system (European Energy Award)

municipal energy and climate planning (energy-use plans and climate concepts)

A pertinent example is given in the case of the Energy Agency Biberach in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

This local energy organization calls itself energy agency and is a subsidiary of the Energy Agency Ravensburg.

Both, the parental and the subsidiary agency, are firmed as non-profit limited liability companies.

Energy Agency Biberach, a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) with public sponsorship,

Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany https://www.energieagentur-

ravensburg.de/energieagentur/energieagentur-biberach.html

The examples show that at the local and district level energy organizations can act as associations and as

agencies likewise. The legal form can differ since it depends on the tasks and the purpose of the energy

organization. If energy organizations strive for having impact and act on higher governance levels, e.g. at the

regional territory, a shift or an expansion of the offered services represents a possible strategy.

2.2 ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL

In Germany, energy organizations at the regional level are often non-profit limited liability companies with

more or less public sponsorship. If the municipalities and district public administrations are members of or

even have shares in such types of non-profit energy organizations, the belonging entities often contribute to

the energy organizations’ financial sustainability. As a consequence, such regional energy organizations work

to a certain extent on behalf of the belonging municipalities and regional administrations.

Though, such regional energy organizations often receive financial support from the public administration,

either via funding or subsidies, they sometimes strive for greater financial sustainability. They act as agencies

and provide a wider range of services and offers. By means of professionalization, the tasks and services alter

and differ from those offered by locally acting energy associations. Compared to energy associations at the

local or the district level, energy agencies at the regional level are more likely to be equipped with greater


http://www.energiewende-landkreis-ffb.de/

https://www.energiewende-sta.de/



manpower and skills. Charging these services, the energy agencies can contribute to their financial

sustainability. Although professional consulting services and training offers can contribute to financial means,

some energy agencies make additionally use of funded research projects to, for instance, cross-finance

regional activities.

As to the organizational framework of energy agencies acting at the regional level, the following services can

be observed:

energy consultation free of charge

campaigns and public relation on energy issues

network of experts with qualification and training offers

municipal energy buildings management

municipal energy management system (EEA)

municipal energy and climate planning (energy-use plans and climate concepts)

implementation of local/regional climate protection measures (workshops, meetings)

audits

cross-border cooperation via research projects

participating in EU-funding programs

The outlined services largely correspond to the compulsory service portfolio demanded by the Bavarian

funding program when establishing a regional energy agency, which are as follows.

support and facilitate the refurbishment of the private building stock and promote the use of

renewable energies,

increase energy efficiency in the private sector (building and production processes),

support energy savings in the public sector (public owned real estates, street lighting s.o.),

implementation of energy management systems,

management of networks across borders and between districts.

To fulfill the compulsory service portfolio imposed by the Bavarian Ministry, the energy agency has to provide

the following tasks:

unbiased consultancy regarding available products and services for citizens, craft men, trade,

industry and public administration, unbiased, on how to take action, especially by offering energy

consultation free of charge to remove existing barriers,

taking part in local and regional climate mitigation activities,

participation in the knowledge transfer with other regional energy agencies.

Good examples of such energy agencies located at the regional level are:

eza!, a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) with public sponsorship in the region of the Allgaeu,

Bavaria/Baden-Württemberg, Germany https://www.eza-allgaeu.de/

Energy Agency Ebersberg-München, a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) with public

sponsorship in the Region of Munich and Ebersberg, Bavaria, Germany https://www.energieagentur-

ebe-m.de/

Energy Agency Ravensburg, a non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH) with public sponsorship,

Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany https://www.energieagentur-ravensburg.de/


https://www.eza-allgaeu.de/

https://www.energieagentur-ebe-m.de/

https://www.energieagentur-ebe-m.de/

https://www.energieagentur-ravensburg.de/



Special about the Energy Agency Ravensburg is the circumstance that it was founded due to a decree of the

state of Baden-Württemberg, calling each district to build up an individual energy agency. Since some districts

were not capable to establish an own regional energy agency, the Energy Agency Ravensburg acts as a parent

company with additional subsidiaries encompassing several districts in the greater region. Like an umbrella

association the Energy Agency Ravensburg incorporates energy agencies of adjoining districts.

Aside from energy agencies, also networks can act as an energy organization at the regional level. The

following tasks are addressed by such regional energy networks:

mobilization of the citizenship,

accompaniment of activities and sustainability efforts,

advising territories to carry out exemplary projects,

pooling activities to improve the effectiveness and facilitate the acquisitional of public funds.

A good example is given by the Info Énergie Rhône-Alpes (IERA) in France, which was founded by several

energy associations of the local level.

IERA (Info Énergie Rhône-Alpes), a regional network gathering 12 energy and environmental

organizations, Rhône-Alpes, France www.iera.fr

2.3 ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL

At the state level, there is a quiet heterogenous picture regarding possible organizational frameworks. On

the one hand, there are energy organizations providing services and acting as consulting institutions. These

organizations are organized for instance as agencies, institutes, private non-profit organizations or for-profit

limited liability companies. Which legal framework is most suited for the specific regional energy

organization, this can also depend on the energy organizations demand to be able to receive EU subsidies.

As described in the deliverable “DT3.5.2 Guideline: Setting up a Regional Energy Agency”, the German legal

from of a non-profit limited liability company with public sponsorship allows regional energy organizations

to acquire EU-funded research projects.

Though, the legal framework differs, the tasks and duties of the corresponding energy organizations are to a

large extent quite similar at the state level. The service portfolio of such types of state level energy

organizations mainly focusses on consulting and planning services (to a limited extent free of charge but for

the most part subject to charges). The following tasks can be part of the product portfolio:

fields of activity: inform, support, engage

consultation, planning, networking

sectors: building and transport, climate change mitigation and adaptation, environment protection

and sustainable development.

target groups: public authorities, companies (private sector)

regional energy and climate planning (efficient street lighting, energy and climate concepts, carbon

emission inventory)

regional mobility planning (creation of mobility concepts)

energy management system

consultation and transfer of knowledge regarding contracting activities, district heat and combined

heat and power plants

funding programs: development and hosting

political consulting


http://www.iera.fr/



information: transfer of knowledge, campaigning, training, events, expert talks, creating and hosting

networks and cooperation, providing platforms, information on funding programs

participating in EU-funding programs

supporting EU Covenant of Mayor

As distinct from regional energy organizations, state-level energy organizations are more likely to have access

to the necessary capacity to participate in EU-funding programs. Since state-level energy organizations share

their horizontal level with the state government, they are more likely empowered to exert influence on

political issues and to be involved in political consultation. In many cases, the state government itself is a

shareholder or a member of state-level energy organizations. This close connection, in turn, can mutually

influence the work of both of them.

The follwing list contains examples of state-level energy organizations within the European territory offering

consulting services and complying to the tasks outlined above:

EIV (Energy Institut Vorarlberg): a non-profit association financed by diverse public and private

institutions (State of Vorarlberg, grid providers s.o.), Vorarlberg, Austria https://www.energieinstitut.at/

KSSENA (Zavod Energetska agencija za Savinjsko, Šaleško in Koroško): energy agency founded by local

municipalities, Savinsjska, Slovenija http://www.kssena.si/

AURA-EE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment Agency): a private non-profit organization

(gathering more than 70 members including regional and local public authorities, energy producers,

distributors and retailers, NGOs), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France www.auvergnerhonealpes-ee.fr/en

Energy Agency Berlin GmbH, a for-profit limited liability company (GmbH) with public and private

shareholders, Berlin, Germany https://www.berliner-e-agentur.de/

KEA (Klimaschutz- und Energieagentur Baden-Württemberg),: a for-profit limited liability company

(GmbH) owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany https://www.kea-bw.de/

IRE (Infrastrutture Recupero Energia), a joint-stock company, Liguria, Italy http://www.ireliguria.it/

Apart from these service-oriented energy organizations, offering consultancy to the private and public sector,

state-level energy organizations can also act in the field of networking. Such organizations do not offer

services to third parties but provide energy organizations a platform to connect and network. They are not

economically active to generate financial income (they do not offer services by themselves), but rather do

networking, lobbying, and linking their belonging members to potential clients.

Their tasks comprise the following fields of activity:

representation of the members’ interests at the state level (lobbying)

network of local and regional organizations

exchange of knowledge

training

In Germany, the Bayerische Energieagenturen e.V. represents such an networking association at the state-

level acting as an umbrella organization for the local and regional energy associations and agencies, and

exerting influence on the state-level policy.

Bayerische Energieagenturen e.V., a non-profit association, Bavaria, Germany,

https://energieagenturen.bayern/hp1/Home.htm


https://www.energieinstitut.at/

http://www.kssena.si/

http://www.auvergnerhonealpes-ee.fr/en

https://www.berliner-e-agentur.de/

https://www.kea-bw.de/

https://energieagenturen.bayern/hp1/Home.htm



2.4 ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

At the national level as well, energy organizations can be grouped into those offering consulting services, and

those facilitating networking and linkages among lower level energy organizations. The former, calling

themselves energy agencies and providing consulting services, are often structured as for-profit or non-profit

limited liability companies. Whereas the latter, promoting networks, are rather organized as non-profit

associations.

The tasks of energy organizations offering consultancy services at the national level deal with strategic

planning and consultation, and innovative solutions. Referring to the silo-model, national energy agencies

and the national government are situated at the same horizontal layer, thus, the national energy agencies’

organizational framework is favorable to exert influence on the national energy policy. The following tasks

are assigned to national-level energy agencies:

strategical consulting on behalf of the national public administration to achieve national climate

mitigation targets

consultation of the public and private sector

research studies

pilot projects

creation and hosting of cooperation projects and networks

linkage between public and private sector

information: transfer of knowledge, campaigning, training, events, expert talks, creating and hosting

networks and cooperation, providing platforms, information on funding programs

Examples of such energy agencies acting at the national government level are:

dena (Deutsche Energieagentur GmbH), a for-profit limited liability company owned by the federal

republic of Germany, https://www.dena.de/

AEA (Austrian Energy Agency), a non-profit association, Austria, https://www.energyagency.at/

Referring to networking activities, energy associations can act as an umbrella supporting and linking all kinds

of energy organizations existing within the national territory. Similar to state-level energy networks, national-

level energy networks provide a platform for local, and regional energies to connect with each other.

Connections across state-borders can be created and transnational networks can emerge. As to the state-

level energy networks, national-level energy networks do not offer services by themselves but provide

contact to their belonging members. In terms of political activity, joining at the national level and, thus,

speaking with one voice, this gives the interests of the belonging lower-level energy organizations more

weight. Due to the energy networks’ position at the national governance level, these networks are focusing

on energy issues with national relevance. They are lobbying for an integrated national energy policy and

planning. With respect to the silo-model, national energy networks work at the intersection between the EU-

and the state governance level. Since, these energy organizations have the position to exert influence on

these two governance levels simultaneously, lobbying becomes one of the most important tasks of national

energy networks.

representation of the members’ interests at the national level (lobbying)

network of local and regional organizations



https://www.dena.de/

https://www.energyagency.at/



The follwing list contains energy networks within the European territory, associating local and regional

energy organizations, non-profit and for-profit corporations likewise:

RARE (Le Réseau des Agences Régionales de l’Energie et de l’environnement), a non-profit association,

the French network of regional energy agencies, France, http://www.rare.fr/

Bundesverband der Energie- und Klimaschutzagenturen Deutschlands e.V., a non-profit association,

Germany, https://energieagenturen.de/

2.5 ENERGY ORGANIZIATIONS AT THE EUROPEAN LEVEL

At the European level, the issue of networking and exerting impact on the European energy policy is of most

interest. Thus, the existing energy organizations overridingly deal with policy or management issues. The

shared goal is an integrated energy policy and planning among the European countries.

With respect to the silo-model, energy networks situated at the European level work on the vertical

connections across both the governance end the energy silo. At the same time, horizontal and cross-sectional

connections between the partly unconnected governance and energy silo are pursued. Escaping the

unconnected policy silos and creating multi-dimensional links happens by the following means:

representation of the members’ interests at the European level (lobbying)

network of local, regional, state-level, and national organizations


platform for advising European and international, institutions on energy- and climate-related issues

benchmarking European and international energy agencies and their activities

The following energy networks act at the European governance level:

FEDARENE (European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment), an

international non-profit association with 70 organizations from 20 European countries, Europe,

https://www.fedarene.org

EnR (European Energy Network), a voluntary network of national energy agencies, Europe, http://enr-

network.org/

The European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment (FEDARENE) represents

an energy network at the European level targeting the outlined task as described above. The association was

initiated by regional and state-level energy agencies striving for a platform to connect with each other and

to exert influence on higher-level energy policies. AURA-EE, for instance, was one of the founding members

of FEDARENE. Encouraged by different programmes of the European Commission, FEDARENE allows its

members to have a voice in the political debate on energy and environment issues at the European level.

FEDARENE creates a connection between the European, and the regional, state, and national level, thus,

enables lower level energy organizations to have an effect on European energy and environmental planning

strategies.

The European organization ManagEnergy does not strive for influencing the European energy policy by

means of policy making, but intends to improve the European energy planning by capacity building at the

local and the regional level. For that purpose, ManagEnergy offers the following services to local and regional

energy agencies:

technical support in the field of management and project development


http://www.rare.fr/

http://energieagenturen.de/

https://energieagenturen.de/

https://www.fedarene.org/

http://enr-network.org/

http://enr-network.org/



tetworking events

energy talks

ManagEnergy aims to empower its members by means of management improvement, networking, and

project development skills. Additionally, supporting the creation of cross-national relationships and providing

peer exchange between energy agencies, ManagEnergy enables local, regional, and state-level energy

organizations to participate in regional and transnational projects.

ManagEnergy, a European Commission initiative, Europe, https://www.managenergy.net/

3. CLASSIFICATION OF ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS ACCORDING TO THE ASSIGNED TASKS AND GOVERNANCE LEVELS

According to the outlined types and tasks of section 1, energy organizations can now be classified with

respect to the individual governance level. The energy organizations will be distinguished into those focusing

on consultancy services, and those focusing on networking activities. As to this classification, the existing

vertical and horizontal integration of energy organizations can be visualized. The subsequent section 4 will

then describe possible strategies on how energy organizations can work on their degree of vertical and

horizontal integration in vertically and horizontally terms across the policy silos.

3.1 CONSULTANY SERVICES: ADDRESSING TARGET GROUPS (CITIZENS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR) AND ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS

The umbrella term “consultancy services” comprises a bundle of activities, such as planning, training,

consulting, networking, which energy organizations can offer to target groups (citizens, private sector, public

sector) or to energy organizations for charge or free of charge. Appendix 1 classifies the observed tasks

associated with consultancy service and makes a categorization according to governance level.

The following tables visualize possible scopes of vertical and horizontal interaction which energy

organizations of different governance levels can reach by offering consultancy services.

Table 1: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of Local/District Energy Organizations by Means of Consultancy

(e.g. ZIEL 21 e.V.)

Horizontal integration – between the silos

Governance Energy Building Mobility

Vertical integration - across the governance levels

EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District


https://www.managenergy.net/



Table 2: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of Regional Energy Organizations by Means of Consultancy (e.g.

eza!)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

Table 3: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of State-Level Energy Organizations by Means of Consultancy

(e.g. AURA-EE)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

Table 4: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of National Energy Organizations by Means of Consultancy (e.g.

DENA)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

Table 5: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of European Energy Organizations by Means of Consultancy

(e.g. ManagEnergy)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District




3.2 NETWORKING SERVICES: ADDRESSING ENERGY ORGANIZATIONS

Energy organizations offering networking services aim to represent the common interests of their members

and to support the creation of collaboration. Additionally, they promote cooperation and the exchange of

ideas between its members, and bundles the members interests against political institutions, other

associations, and the media. The belonging members are energy agencies, institutes, companies, and

associations, mainly belonging to lower governance levels, such as the local or regional one. Which tasks

are taken by networking energy organization within the European territory, this is listed in appendix 2. The

following tables illustrate possible scopes of vertical and horizontal interaction, reached by energy

networking organizations located at different governance levels.

Table 6: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of Regional Energy Organizations by Means of Networking (e.g.

IERA)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

Table 7: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of State-Level Energy Organizations by Means of Networking

(e.g. Bayerische Energieagenturen e.V.)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

Table 8: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of National Energy Organizations by Means of Networking (e.g.

Bundesverband der Energie- und Klimaschutzagenturen Deutschlands e.V.)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District


http://energieagenturen.de/



Table 9: Vertical and Horizontal Integration of European Energy Organizations by Means of Networking (e.g.

FEDARENE)




EU

National

State

Regional

Local/District

4. STRATEGIES FOR VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION

The tables of section 3 illustrate how energy organizations are vertically and horizontally integrated across

the MLG model. The greater the multidimensional integration across the silos, the greater the potential

impact that energy organizations can exert on energy planning processes. The following section describes

possible strategies which have an effect on the degree and on the scope of vertical and horizontal integration

of energy organizations. The strategies are grouped into two categories: first, strategies targeting the

organizational and functional framework, e.g. by lifting the energy organization’s territorial and political

scope of interaction via merging with other energy organizations; and second, strategies addressing activities

and providing services, e.g. participating in EU-research programmes to link to higher level institutions.

Within this categorization the possible strategies are distinguished into those taking a bottom-up approach,

driven by energy organizations themselves or active target groups, and those taking a top-down approach,

driven by the public authorities or the politics.

4.1 ADDRESSING THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL FRAMEWORK

While focussing on the organizational and functional frameworks and with respect to the individual

governance levels, the matrix of appendix 3 consolidates possible strategies for vertical and horizontal

integration from a bottom-up point of view. The design of the appendix 4 is just the same but takes a top-

down point of view. Since the following outlined activities to further vertical and/or horizontal integration

do often make use of both approaches, the bottom-up and the top-down one simultaneously or successively,

a clear-cut allocation to the one or the other approach is hardly possible.




4.1.1 BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

Joining an Umbrella Association

Energy organizations can join umbrella organizations at the state, national, and European level to connect

with each other and to give the individual interests more weight. Such umbrella organizations are often

associations or federations and represent the interests of its members towards the policy and the public

authority. By bundling and consolidating the matters of regional or even local energy organizations, the

members’ interests can be transferred from lower governance levels to upper ones. With the number of

members, the umbrella association’s relevance increases and the association’s voice is more likely to be

heard and integrated by upper level institutions in the energy planning processes.

When joining an umbrella association, energy organizations can target MLG with respect to:

vertical integration within the governance and the energy silo,

horizontal integration within the energy silo.

Possible umbrella associations within the Alpine Sapce are:

Bayerische Energieagenturen e.V., DE

RARE, FR

FEDARENE (European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment), EU

Creating Energy Networks

If energy networks do not exist yet, energy associations can team up and create an umbrella association

by themselves. This is advised if the collaboration among the existing energy organizations is poor or if

the matters of the prevailing energy organizations aren’t incorporated by the public authority or the

politics yet.

The creation of networks promotes MLG with respect to:


horizontal integration between the governance and the energy silo.

The following energy networks, for instance, had been (co-)created by local or regional energy

organizations:

IERA, FR

Bayerische Energieagenturen e.V., DE

Bundesverband der Energie- und Klimaschutzagenturen Deutschlands e.V., DE

RARE, FR

FEDARENE (European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment), EU




Establishing an Energy Organization

Regardless of the level of governance, the foundation of an energy organization is often driven by the

activities of local or regional stakeholders, more or less supported by the public administration. At the

regional level, for instance, local energy saving associations can team up and found a professional energy

agency. By upscaling the area of activity onto the regional territory, the newly created energy agency can

operate beyond municipal borders. Apart from the greater sphere of influence in territory terms, being

organized as a professional energy agency may increase the relevance in political terms as well. With the

increase in professionalization and manpower the energy agency is more likely to be heard and

integrated in energy planning and energy policy matters.

The creation of an energy organizations promotes cross-sectional MLG with respect to:

vertical integration within the silos (governance, energy, mobility, building),

horizontal integration across the silos (governance, energy, mobility, building).

The following energy organizations within the Alpine Space, were initiate by active stakeholders, more

or less with the support of public authorities:

ZIEL 21 e.V

EIV, AT




Merger

Apart from creating a new energy organization, existing energy organizations can follow the strategy of

merging or incorporating those territories which do not haven an own energy agency yet.

The teaming up with established energy agencies can lift the scope of interaction from a lower

governance level to an upper one at a stroke. Apart from this vertical incorporation, a merger has also

the potential to expand the portfolio of the offered consulting services, thus, may promote the cross-

sectional integration of yet unconnected silos.

The merger of already existing energy organizations promotes MLG with respect to:



The Infrastrutture Recupero Energia gives a pertinent example of merged energy organization. It was

created by Italy’s Liguria Region as a merger of three regional companies.

IRE, IT

Established energy organizations can also team up with territories, in geographical and political terms,

which, up to now, lack an own energy organization. A well-functioning network and trustful relationships

among the future partners are the preconditions to expand an existing energy organization on a larger

territory. Due to this geographical extension, the newly formed energy organization is likely to be situated

at a higher governance level (for instance being lifted from the district to the regional level) going along

with a higher level of political interaction.

Teaming up with additional territories promotes cross-sectional MLG with respect to:



A good example is given by the Energy Agency Ebersberg-München. The merger with the district of

Munich was driven by a decision of the district government of Munich, affiliating to the already existing

Energy Agency Ebergberg.

Energy Agency Ebersberg-München, DE




4.1.2 TOP-DOWN APPROACH

Providing Public Subsidies

In Germany, the National Climate Initiative (NKI) has installed a temporally limited public funding

program at the state level which promotes the creation of intercommunal networks. By means of that

program, energy network associations or energy agencies are financially supported to find potential

partners, to establish the organizational framework, and to implement activities. The amount of the

financial support is low, nevertheless it can act as a trigger to launch an energy network.

Also, the state of Bavaria provides a funding program to facilitate the foundation and the running of

energy agencies within the Bavarian territory. To apply for the funding, the future energy agencies have

to comply to the following postulated tasks (see also section 2.2):

unbiased consultancy regarding available products and services for citizens, craft men, trade,

industry and public administration, unbiased, on how to take action, especially by offering energy

consultation free of charge to remove existing barriers,

taking part in local and regional climate mitigation activities,

participation in the knowledge transfer with other regional energy agencies.

Public subsidies can also be linked to shares which are held by the public authority in the energy

organization. This is especially the case, if the public authority is the 100% owner of the energy

organization. Subsidies in terms of financial resource can ensure financial sustainability and close

financial gaps. In a wider context, subsidies can also comprise personal resources, such as staff, or

material resources, such as premises.

Public subsidies promoting the installation of energy organizations (networks, agencies, and the like)

address MLG as follows:

vertical integration within the silos (governance, energy, mobility, building), provided the

newly installed energy organization is driven by lower level agents, and


The necessity of public funding securing the financial sustainability of energy agencies is also described

in the Guideline “DT3.5.2: Setting up a Regional Energy Agency”.




4.2 ADRESSING ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDING SERVICES

Apart from targeting the organizational and structural framework, vertical and horizontal integration can also

be triggered by tackling the energy organizations’ activities and providing services. As in section 4.1, the

following strategies will refer to bottom-up as well as to top-down approaches.

Decree of the Public Authority

The public authority can drive the formation of energy organizations by means of a decree or a resolution.

A pertinent example gives the coalition agreement of the latest Bavarian administration, which demands

an energy organization at the state level of Bavaria, Germany. A similar procedure had been applied in

the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, when in 1994 the KEA, the climate protection and energy

agency Baden-Württemberg, was founded. Since the state government of Baden-Württemberg

additionally demanded a complete coverage of energy agencies at the regional and district level, energy

agencies at the district Ravensburg or at the district Biberach were installed. Comparable approaches can

be observed in other Alpine Space countries, such as in France, where the state-level energy agency

AURA-EE was founded with the support of the regional council, or in Austria, where the national-level

energy institute AEA was set up by the federal government and the federal states. Both formations,

however, went along with the bottom-up support of influential stakeholders (e.g. energy suppliers). In

many cases, public authorities’ resolutions were initially driven or simultaneously supported by

stakeholders demanding the foundation of an energy organization.

A public authority’s decree to found an energy organization, no matter at which governance level,

promotes MLG with respect to:

vertical integration within the silos (governance, energy, mobility, building), provided upper or

lower level energy organizations are existing,


The following examples provide energy agencies, respectively energy insitutes, which were founded on

behalf of a political resolution, more or less with the support of local, regional, or state-level

stakeholders:

Energy Agency Biberach, DE

Energiewende Landkreis Starnberg e.V., DE

eza!, DE

Energy Agency Ravensburg, DE

Energy Agency Ebersberg-München, DE

AURA-EE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Energy Environment Agency), FR

DENA (Deutsche Energie Agentur), DE

AEA (Austrian Energy Agency), AT




4.2.1 TOP-DOWN APPROACH

Offering Research Projects

The public authority can offer research programs which either address energy organizations as project

partners or target the formation of an energy organization. As to the former, calls for research projects

should facilitate or even purposely address energy organizations. As to the latter, the gist of the project

itself can be the formation of an energy organization. For example, the energy agency KSEENA in Slovenia

was founded by local municipalities in the course of the Europen research program IEE (Intelligent Energy

Europe).

If public authorities, such as the EU, call for research projects, addressing or dealing with energy

organizations, MLG will be affected with respect to:

vertical integration within the governance silo,

horizontal integration across those silos which are incorporated by the reseach program (e.g.

energy, mobility, building).

Hosting Energy Platforms

At the regional, the state, the national, and the European level, energy platforms can be hosted and/or

financed by the public authorities. Apart from providing a framework to connect and increase peer

exchange between agencies, companies, institutes and/or associations, platforms hosted by the public

authority accelerate knowledge-exchange between practitioners and public administrations. This can

also function as a door-opener encouraging the exchange between energy organizations and the politics.

The public authority comes to know the pressing issues on behalf of the energy organizations, e.g.

regarding needed funding programs or regulatory frameworks to support a low carbon energy transition,

and, simultaneously, energy organizations can address their needs and wants at higher governance

levels.

Hosting energy platforms supports energy organizations to tackle MLG with respect to:


horizontal integration within the governance and the energy silo.

Involving Energy Organizations in Political and Administrative Processes

Integrated energy planning demands multilevel corporation between the relevant target groups. By an

active stakeholder involvement, the politics as well as the public authority can identify the pressing issues

and develop shared solutions. For instance, if the public authority involves agents of local or regional

energy organizations in working groups, the outputs can be proofed in terms of local relevance at an

early stage. The same goes for the development of funding programs. Incorporating energy organizations

in the development process helps to gather valuable feedback from exactly those organizations which

are ought to be attracted by the future program.

Involving energy organizations in political and administrative processes challenges MLG as follows:


horizontal integration within the energy silo.




4.2.2 BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

Participating in Research Projects

The participation in research projects, such as IMEAS, does not only enable energy organizations to

generate experiences and findings, which in turn will facilitate the vertical integration by means of

improved skills and knowledge, but also furthers the creation of vertical and horizontal relationships and

helps to connect yet unconnected silos and governance levels. Research projects, especially those having

a transnational context, boost the energy organization’s capacities to increase cooperation and to work

on issues of higher governance levels. Additionally, energy organizations are able to convey their pressing

issues to higher governance institutions, and to transfer the latest findings and innovations down to the

state, regional, or local level.

The participation in research projects allows energy organizations to target MLG with respect to:


horizontal integration across those silos which are incorporated by the reseach program (e.g.

energy, mobility, building).

Energy organizations participating in reseach projects are, for instance:

eza!, DE

KSSENA, SL

AURA-EE, FR

Energy Agency Ebersberg – München, DE

Networking Activities

Energy organizations can participate in events, hosted by the public and/or the private sector, to network

with peers and stakeholders, connect to the public authority, and link to higher governance levels. If a

representative of an energy organization contributes to the program, for instance by launching a

workshop or having a key note, the energy organization’ visibility increases. A greater level of recognition

is beneficial for the acquisition of new projects and helps to generate income. At the same time, the more

visible an energy organization is, the higher the chance that it will be involved by the public authority, for

instance when designing a funding program or when issuing roadmaps on energy planning.

Networking activities promote the integration of energy agencies as to the MLG-model as follows:

vertical integration within the energy silo,

horizontal integration between the governance and the energy silo.




5. RECOMMENDATIONS

By means of the elaborated matrixes displayed in section 3, the energy organization’s vertical and horizontal

integration becomes obvious. The degree of vertical and horizontal integration depends on the type of

service the energy organization offers (either consulting services or networking services) and on the

governance level the energy organization is located at. Building on that, the energy organization can rank its

existing scope of integration. In order to boost or modify the given vertical and horizontal integration towards

MLG, the energy organizations can use applicable strategies of section 4. As far as the bottom-up approach

is concerned, the energy organization can apply the displayed possible strategies by itself. Either by means

of addressing the organizational and functional framework, or by addressing the scope of activities and

services, the scale of vertical and horizontal integration can be challenged. The guideline tries to draw a clear

distinction between the strategies, but, especially when distinguishing between top-down and bottom-up

approaches, the line gets blurred. This, however, just reflects the general process when fostering integrated

multi-level governance. One activity presupposes and engages the other.




6. APPENDIX

Appendix 1: Consultancy Services: Addressing Stakeholders and Energy Organizations




Appendix 2: Networking Services: Addressing Energy Organizations




Appendix 3: Organizational Approach for Vertical and Horizontal Intergration: Bottom-Up




Appendix 4: Organizational Approach for Vertical and Horizontal Intergration: Top-Down


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