Pioneering climate protection and energy-system transformation

​​​The Rhine-Hunsrück district in Rhineland-Palatinate started to improve its energy efficiency in 1999 and joined the Climate Alliance. At the time, it was a big importer of energy; after 20 years of investment and support from regional subsidies, it generates three times more energy than it consumes, an achievement that has secured it multiple awards and made it a global example of the energy transition at the municipal level.

It has done this by switching to renewable energy, primarily from the sun, wind and biomass. It now has, for instance, 271 wind turbines (generating electricity for more than 300,000 households), 4,400 solar-power plants on roofs (meeting 18% of the total electricity needs) and 16 local heating networks for citizens (thereby avoiding 2.7 million litres of heating oil imports annually).

Residents of the district have become 'prosumers' – producers as well as consumers – and the local communities in the district now have over €84m in reserves. Moreover, 60 of the 137 municipalities in the district benefit from wind-power rental income. This has created funds for investment in schools, roads, associations and other infrastructure – including what may be Germany's most beautiful hanging rope bridge, Geierlay.