The German Association of Cities (Der Deutsche Städtetag) has sharply criticized the federal government’s handling of the heating law, demanding greater financial support from both the federal and state levels.
According to Christian Schuchardt, the Association’s Chief Executive, the clarity surrounding the new regulations has been lacking until too late. He noted that the federal government had initially mandated that major cities prepare comprehensive heat plans by the end of July. While many cities were already close to completing this requirement, Schuchardt pointed out a recent statement from a spokesperson at the Federal Ministry of Economics, who announced that cities would actually be granted four months of extra time.
Looking ahead, Schuchardt emphasized that what is most crucial for the successful implementation of the heat transition is predictable planning security. However, he stressed that cities and utility providers cannot finance the required investments on their own.
To address the financial shortfall, the Association proposed directing the federal government’s Deutschlandfonds (Germany Fund) specifically toward supporting the energy transition. Furthermore, Schuchardt called on the states to contribute equally to risk mitigation, acknowledging that differences in the financial capacity of various cities must be accounted for.