FLAME is a consortium of fourteen French energy agencies. All were established in 1994 under the SAVE II Framework with funding from the European Commission, local authorities and ADEME.

In 1998, the local energy management agencies decided to set up an informal national network with the objective of:

• Exchanging experiences on energy topics in order to improve their own local action;
• Promoting skills and knowledge at national and European levels;
• Facilitating the birth of new local agencies.

In January 2004, the agencies decided to create a formal non-profit association in order to develop new national and European partnerships (throughout reflection groups set up by the European Commission). FLAME was founded on 21 April 2004.

Each of the agencies has a similar role in assisting cities and energy users in taking action to promote energy efficiency and renewables, as well as local sustainable energy policies.

Additional roles of the agencies are as follows:

• As a proximity tool to inform consumers on energy topics;
• To provide technical expertise to help consumers make relevant energy choices;
• To facilitating the exchange of experiences in energy efficiency actions between energy actors and decision makers;
• As a dissemination tool for local, national and European energy policies

The main areas of expertise are:

• Energy efficiency and rational use of energy;
• Renewable energy sources: solar heating, photovoltaic, biomass, wind turbines, etc.
• Rational use of water;
• Air quality and global warming