Energy from the region: How communities shape the future together

Energy from the region: How communities shape the future together

In a remarkable step in sustainable energy production, the climate and energy model region (KEM) Elsbeere Wienerwald, led by Matthias Zawichowski, has advanced its pioneering work for a local energy community. Zawichowski, proud that the plan dreamed of 20 years ago is now becoming a reality, explains that the electricity produced in the region is not only used locally, but also flexibly where it is needed. For this purpose, photovoltaic systems have already been installed in community-owned facilities in the past in order to optimize the local energy supply. It was recently announced that the Energy Community will be opened to all from January 1, 2025, marking huge progress in renewable energy in the region, such as noen.at reported.

The KEM Elsbeere Wienerwald extends across 13 communities between Vienna and St. Pölten and includes more than 38,000 residents. Zawichowski sees himself not only as a regional planner, but as a visionary in a region that is confronted with increasing settlement pressure and high land prices. People's mobility needs are also served by seven ride services and an extensive network of e-charging stations, making the region future-proof. In addition, Zawichowski is involved in several organizations and is passionate about electromobility. As chairman of “carsharing Austria” and “fahrfreuden.at”, he promotes innovative mobility solutions. His achievements were recently recognized with the KEM Manager of the Year 2022 award, underscoring the importance of his initiatives. According to Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler, the climate and energy model regions are crucial for climate protection and the implementation of solutions for the energy transition, such as klimaundenergiemodellregionen.at reported.