Action at the local and municipal level will be crucial for the realisation of the European Union’s ambitious, socially just and economy-wide decarbonisation objectives, which are currently encapsulated in the European Green Deal policy. Local and regional authorities will deliver an estimated 70% of climate mitigation measures,1 and are keenly aware of their role and responsibility in implementing the Green Deal. Yet, actors at the municipal level still face several barriers to transition, often arising from misalignment between city, regional, and national authorities.  

The technological and regulatory complexity of EU energy sector policies and their implementation and applicability at city level present a particular challenge in this regard, made even more significant by the recent, substantial changes to much of the EU’s energy law and policy.

Against this background, this course aims to empower city-level actors and enable their deeper involvement in the decision-making process in a way that is truly reflective of cities’ fundamental importance in the realisation of the Green Deal as a whole. 

Week 0: Introduction

28 April – 1 May 2025

Welcome class and introduction to the course and topics.

Week 1: Renewable Energy

1 – 8 May 2025

In the first week, we will explore how cities can best foster citizen ownership of the urban energy transition through energy sharing, and how decision-makers at municipal level can leverage EU rules on renewable energy, permitting, and zoning to efficiently decarbonise their communities.

Keywords: Renewable Energy Communities; Citizen Energy Communities; energy sharing; renewables go-to areas; permitting; zoning

Week 2: Energy Efficiency

8 – 15 May 2025

The second week of the course is devoted to the EU’s rules on energy efficiency, with a particular focus on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. We will discuss the new requirements on planning, retrofitting and certification that now have to be rolled out across the EU and identify the most impactful way for cities to shape this implementation process.

Keywords: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive; Building Renovation Passports; Zero-Emission Building; deep renovation; Energy Performance Certificates; one-stop-shop for energy efficiency

Week 3: Metering and Distribution Networks

15 – 22 May 2025

In the third week, we focus on options for and requirements of smart metering, with an emphasis on the management of metering data at city level, as well as the challenges faced by distribution system operators (DSOs) and potential obstacles to effective DSO-municipality cooperation.

Keywords: demand response; demand flexibility; smart meters; data protection; distribution network; city-DSO relations

Weeks 4 and 5: Case Study

22 May – 5 June 2025

In the final weeks, participants will have time to finalise a case study on one of three real cities, actively applying the knowledge gained to identify strengths and weaknesses of a city’s energy sector policy and providing advice on the measures and policies that could be implemented to shape the energy transition of their case study city in an impactful way. A final session in week 5 will serve as a way to discuss the solutions that participants have proposed in a Panel Debate with representatives from the case study cities.

The course is given in English and developed for:

• Local and municipal government staff
• City council members
• City decarbonisation beginners and experts
• Government agencies
• Regulatory bodies
• Academics and researchers
• NGOs
• European Associations
• National Associations
• Distribution System Operators
• Consultancies
• Professionals engaged in the sector
• New stakeholders in the energy sector

Depending on their previous experience and learning objectives, participants can take the course at different levels:

• Investigator
• Advocate
• Master

Workload: 6-8 hours/week

Through this course we provide answers to the following questions:

• What do recent reforms of the EU’s energy law and policy mean for decisionmakers at municipal level?
• How can cities participate and shape the EU’s energy policy priorities and their implementation?

After completing this course, you’ll be able to:

• identify the opportunities for cities to be drivers of the uptake of energy communities and other energy sharing arrangements;
• recognise prospects for accelerated renewables deployment in applying the EU’s rules on permitting and siting;
• assess the benefits of, as well as the technical and regulatory requirements needed for the roll-out of smart metering and demand flexibility solutions;
• evaluate the implications of EU energy efficiency legislation for public and private urban building stock; and
• formulate pragmatic and integrated advice for municipal energy sector decarbonisation.
• Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of a city’s energy sector policy and recommend impactful measures and policies

You’ll get a hands-on learning experience with:

• Live classes delivered by FSR faculty
• Panel debates with practitioners and experts
• Video lectures to unpack complex regulatory and technical topics
• Interaction with your peers in lively forum discussions
• The opportunity to apply and test your knowledge by writing a case study

At the end of the course, the participants can earn a Certificate of Attendance, a Certificate of Completion or a Certificate of Excellence, depending of their performance and engagement throughout the course.