The USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project conducted the “Energy Planning, Energy Management and Project Preparation” seminar in Kharkiv on 1-3 March. 40 energy managers, communal utilities specialists and city council representatives from Bakhmut, Pokrovsk, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk and Sloviansk discussed the issues of energy planning, implementation of municipal energy consumption management and preparation of clean energy project proposals together with the Project.

Key training topics included:

•    energy planning methodology and development of the municipal energy management system;
•    implementing energy saving projects and measures in municipal infrastructure sectors, the public building sector, water supply and sewage systems, etc.; and
•    development and implementation of clean energy projects, etc.

With Project support, the community administrations of Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk and Rubizhne will create advisory committees and task forces for the development of their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs). These plans are the roadmaps for the cities to become signatories of the Covenant of Mayors, undertake energy efficiency improvements, and increase the use of alternative and renewable energy sources in their territories. This approach lets them reduce the consumption of conventional fuels and to reduce carbon dioxide (СО₂) emission into the environment.

The Project will conduct two additional workshops for the task force participants in each city, where the baseline emission inventories of the cities will be identified, the list of potential projects will be compiled, the projects will be prioritized, the investment programs will be developed, and finally, the SEAPs will be formed. Further, the Action Plans will face public hearings and then finalized according to the comments and sent for consideration by advisory committees. Upon approval, the SEAPs will be submitted for voting by the City Councils.  After voting for adoption of the Action Plan, every new USAID Project partner city will then take the first steps towards improving energy efficiency and reducing СО₂ emissions.