NRW Community Energy Fund launched / The federal state and NRW.BANK support the planning of community energy projects

Community initiatives that contribute to the local energy transition can now receive financial support for their planning expenses from the NRW Community Energy Fund. The Fund set up by the North Rhine-Westphalian Economics Ministry and NRW.BANK provides eligible projects with up to 300,000 euros to finance their pre-planning expenses such as studies and expert opinions. The funding is made available by the North Rhine-Westphalian government, while NRW.BANK is in charge of processing. Online applications can be submitted to the Bank as of now.

“When it comes to expanding renewable energies, we always keep a close eye on local interests,” says Economics and Climate Action Minister Mona Neubaur. “After all, the energy transition will not be successful without the necessary acceptance in the local communities. Community energy plays a key role in this context, and we have given the local communities a tool in the form of the NRW Community Energy Act which allows them to benefit economically from wind projects and to take an active part in the energy transaction.“

Gabriela Pantring, Deputy Chairwoman of the NRW.BANK Managing Board: “The energy transition is a task for society as a whole, to which all of us can contribute. This also includes providing the initiators of local community wind parks or community solar plants with the best possible support. Under the NRW Community Energy Fund, the federal state provides funding to strengthen the transformation of the energy supply – for a sustainable North Rhine-Westphalia.

The NRW Community Energy Fund finances the costs of expert opinions and preparatory studies for new community energy projects in the fields of wind energy, photovoltaics, hydropower and bioenergy up to a total amount of 300,000 euros. Repayment is necessary only if the subsequent project actually receives funding. If the project fails to be realised in the end, the funds received do not have to be repaid. The NRW Community Energy Fund thus bears part of the planning risk.

Before filing an application for funding, it is recommended to obtain initial advice from NRW.Energy4Climate, the North Rhine-Westphalian state enterprise for energy and climate action.

In addition to the new NRW Citizens' Energy Fund, NRW.BANK has already been supporting the construction of citizens’ energy plants with low-interest loans. This funding may still be used additionally.

For more information, visit www.nrwbank.de/buergerenergie

Media contact:
Caroline Fischer, Press Officer
Phone: +49 211 91741-1847, e-mail: presse@nrwbank.de

NRW.BANK – the promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia
NRW.BANK is the promotional bank of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). In close partnership with its owner, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Bank helps to strengthen SMEs and start-ups, create affordable housing and improve public infrastructure. NRW.BANK offers people, enterprises and local authorities in NRW tailor-made financing solutions and advisory services. It cooperates with its financing partners, in particular all banks and savings banks, on a competition-neutral basis. In order to accelerate the transformation processes, the Bank provides effective promotional impulses – for a sustainable, climate-neutral and digital North Rhine-Westphalia.