ManagEnergy Workshop Tartu, Estonia

12 October 2011

Sustainable Energy Action Plans in Estonia: Regional Cooperation, Best Practices & Financing Options

ManagEnergy held its 19th capacity building workshop in Tartu, Estonia on 12 October 2011. Some 30 participants were present in addition to workshop speakers, with participants coming primarily from municipalities across the country, local and regional energy agencies and other local energy actors such as universities and NGOs.

The workshop’s focus was on building understanding of the benefits of sustainable energy planning, and the development and financing of Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) in Estonia, and covered:

  • benefits and good practice examples from abroad regarding sustainable energy planning and SEAP development,
  • the Covenant of Mayors Initiative and SEAP development under the COM framework,
  • current status, challenges and opportunities regarding sustainable energy planning and SEAP development in Estonia, and
  • EU financing for SEAP implementation.

The ManagEnergy Workshop was organised in association with the Tartu Energy Agency and Kredex, and also highlighted synergies with the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) supported programme the Regions 202020 ENNEREG initiative - Regions paving the way for a Sustainable Energy Europe.

Workshop programme and presentations

Workshop conclusions

"It can be done!" That was the inspirational message from the Mayor of Rakvere city, Mr Andres Jaadla, showing other Estonian municipalities how Rakvere’s political determination and “can-do” approach to creating a sustainable energy city has seen Rakvere become the country’s standard bearer in terms of financing and implementing sustainable energy projects from its Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP).

Workshop pictures


Mr Marek Muiste, Director, Tartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA) presenting TREA’s experience in the Tartu region in front of a full room


Seán Burke, ManagEnergy, welcoming participants to the workshop, and thanking the workshop partners Tartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA), Kredex and ENNEREG Regions 202020


Nils Daugaard, Energy Consulting Network (ECNet), presenting the experiences of Danish cities and regions in SEAP Development
Dr. Feliksas Zinevicius, Kaunas Regional Energy Agency (KREA), presenting Kaunas’s experience in SEAP Development


Mr. Marek Muiste presenting the lessons learnt from Tartu’s heating solution
Seán Burke presenting EU financing mechanisms for financing sustainable energy investments


The workshop featured significant Q&A and discussion from engaged workshop participants


Ms Lisa Walitalo, Energy Agency for South East Sweden, presenting the experience of the Blekinge region in engaging in a regional-level SEAP development process
Andres Jaadla, Mayor of Rakvere, presenting Rakvere’s experience and achievements in implementing its Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP)


Andres Jaadla, Mayor of Rakvere, with some of the representatives of ManagEnergy, Seán Burke and Nils Daugaard


The ManagEnergy workshop was followed by an in-depth seminar on sustainable energy planning, hosted by the Intelligent-Energy Europe supported project ENNEREG regions 202020. Participants were able to benefit from the experience of Mr Hans Gulliksson, Director of the Energy Agency for South East Sweden, presenting the experience of the Blekinge region in sustainable energy planning and in engaging in a regional-level SEAP development process.
One of the impacts of the workshop was the fostering of a dialogue and experience exchange on sustainable energy planning between Eastern Estonia and the ENNEREG Regions 202020 project.