© Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy – data from the Competence Center for Municipal Heat Transition (KWW), as of June 2026

Municipal heat planning is making good progress

To map out the path towards an affordable and climate-neutral heat supply, every municipality is required to draw up a tailored heat plan. Nearly three quarters of Germany’s larger municipalities have already done so.

Municipal heat planning provides the strategic roadmap for making heat supply in cities and municipalities increasingly climate-friendly. It shows how buildings can be heated in a cost-effective and climate-neutral way in the future, for example by using heat pumps or district heating. Municipalities are required to prepare plans tailored to local conditions, thereby providing valuable planning certainty. Heat plans identify the most suitable heating solutions for individual areas, giving homeowners a sound basis for deciding which type of heating system is likely to be the best option for their property in the future. Each municipal heat plan also includes an assessment of locally available energy sources, such as waste heat from industry and data centres, geothermal energy and ambient heat.

On average, preparing a municipal heat plan takes around 18 months in Germany. However, not all municipalities have to complete their plans at the same time. Smaller and medium-sized municipalities have longer deadlines than larger ones. Seventy-one per cent of heat plans for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants have already been completed. The remaining 29 per cent are still being prepared and must be finalised by 30 June 2026.

Comprehensive guidance and advice for municipal heat planning

Municipalities with between 10,000 and 100,000 inhabitants have until the end of June 2028 to complete their heat plans. Fourty-two per cent have already completed their plans, while around 43 per cent are still working on them. Municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants also have until mid-2028 to complete their heat plans. Twenty-two per cent of these municipalities are still in the planning process, while 30 per cent have already completed their plans.

Comprehensive guidance and support is available from the Competence Centre for Municipal Heat Transition (KWW) in Halle (Saale), including networking opportunities, guidance documents, telephone consultation hours and a dedicated advisory programme. The regional energy agencies of the Länder also provide on-the-ground advice on funding opportunities and the practical implementation of municipal heat planning.