Keynote Address on “How Rural Regions Shape and Benefit from the Energy Transition”

Municipalities are key actors in implementing the energy transition and serve as the first point of contact for citizens and businesses. The event series “Municipalities in Dialogue: Actively Shaping the Energy Transition” hosted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and and Regional Identity (BMLEH) brings stakeholders together and provides a platform for exchanging experiences on the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition. Funded through the Federal Office of Agriculture and Food, the series concluded with a formal closing event in Berlin on 4 November 2025. Around 60 guests attended in person, while more than 150 participants joined online.

Following the welcome address and opening remarks by Martina Englhardt-Kopf, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Food and and Regional Identity, Dominik Frankenberg delivered a keynote analyzing regional disparities in renewable electricity generation. His presentation highlighted that the associated municipal value-creation potential is particularly concentrated in structurally weak rural regions. In this context, municipal revenue participation through trade tax as well as special levies based on Section 6 of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) plays a key role. Frankenberg provided an in-depth discussion of the opportunities and challenges arising from municipal revenue participation and outlined key success factors for achieving the expansion targets.

Additional program elements—such as interactive thematic tables and a gallery walk showcasing six municipal projects that presented practical solutions for the energy transition—offered participants the opportunity to gain hands-on insights into supported initiatives and engage directly with experts and project leads.

Further information (event website): https://buleplus-energiewende.de/event/abschlussveranstaltung/

Contact: Dr. Dominik Frankenberg