Great interest in municipal heat planning

The question of how the energy supply in Jena can be secured in the future without fossil fuels such as oil or gas is of concern to many people in Jena. Accordingly, there was great interest in the public information event on municipal heat planning in the city of Jena. Around 150 people came to the Volksbad Jena yesterday, Tuesday, to find out more. More than 600 other people followed the event via livestream on the city's website and on JenaTV.

Creating planning security

"Municipal heat planning offers us the opportunity to work together on a sustainable, climate-neutral heat supply. Planning security and the involvement of the population are key concerns for us - this is the only way we can shape the heating transition together and set the right course. How we will heat in Jena in the future is not just a technical question. The great need for discussion at yesterday's event showed this. We are aware of the financial and social components of the heating transition. We deliberately started drawing up the heating plan at an early stage so that our citizens, but also Jena's businesses, now have sufficient time to deal with this issue and incorporate the results into their decision-making," emphasized Kathleen Lützkendorf, Head of the Department for Social Affairs, Health, Immigration and Climate.

After the presentation of the draft of the municipal heating plan, local citizens had the opportunity to express their concerns in an open question and answer session and actively participate in the discussion. Fundamental questions on climate protection, the expansion of district heating including the expected costs and concrete implementation, possible alternatives to heat pumps as well as the legal framework for municipal heating planning and the continued operation of gas heating systems were addressed.

Advice on individual solutions

At several information stands, participants were able to obtain in-depth information on topics such as district heating and decentralized heat supply. In addition to representatives of the city administration, experts from the Hamburg Institute, the state energy agency ThEGA and the district craftsmen's association were available as contact persons. Of course, Stadtwerke Energie Jena-Pößneck was also on site and answered numerous questions, for example about the planned expansion of the district heating network, climate-friendly individual house heating or interim solutions if the heating system needs to be replaced at short notice.

Stadtwerke Sales Manager Udo Weingart was very satisfied with the evening.

"With its heating plan, the city of Jena has set an important starting point for a successful heating transition - now we are taking action together with our customers," said Weingart. "Whether district heating, local heating or heat pumps - we help homeowners to find the most economical and suitable solution for their home. We actively support our customers and focus on transparent advice, personal interaction and reliable support."

The event was aimed in particular at building owners who are directly affected by the planned measures. As part of the Federal Building Energy Act (GEG), all newly installed heating systems in existing buildings must use at least 65% renewable energy for heat generation from 01.07.2026 at the latest.

Public interpretation

The draft of the municipal heating plan has also been published on the online participation platform mitmachen.jena.de. Citizens can view the plans there and submit their own comments by 23.02.2025. After the deadline, the draft can still be viewed on the city's municipal heating planning website.

Background

Municipal heating planning is dedicated to the question of how buildings in Jena can be heated in the future if fossil fuels such as oil or gas are no longer used. The aim is to analyze current and future heating requirements and ensure a climate-neutral supply.

The results of heat planning are not legally binding, but provide an important information basis for informing stakeholders in the heat transition and the population about the envisaged future of heat supply at an early stage. However, there is no entitlement or obligation to a specific supply.