The German Association of Cities criticized the federal government’s approach to the heating law, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support from both the federal government and the states. During an interview, Christian Schuchardt, the association’s Chief Executive Officer, noted that the cities had wished for much greater clarity much earlier. He highlighted the initial mandate from the federal government, which required major cities to complete heat plans by the end of July. Since many municipalities were nearly ready to meet this deadline, Schuchardt was particularly concerned about the subsequent statements from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, which suggested extending the deadline by four months.
Looking ahead, Schuchardt stressed that the primary requirement for implementing the energy transition (Wärmewende) is planning security. However, he pointed out that cities and local utility providers cannot manage the required investments by themselves. To address this financial gap, he proposed redirecting the federal government’s Germany Fund (Deutschlandfonds) toward supporting the energy transition. Furthermore, Schuchardt argued that the states must contribute to risk mitigation in their respective areas, taking into account the varied financial capacity of the individual cities.
