Leadership for Energy Action and Planning LEAP
Back to List17/10/2013
Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.
On Thursday 10th October 2013, Mr. Daniel McLoughlin, South Dublin County Manager, Mr. Oisin Quinn, Lord Mayor of Dublin and Mr. Dermot Looney, Mayor of South Dublin County, opened the ‘Energy Planning for Local Authorities’ conference, held at the Wood Quay venue in Dublin. South Dublin County Council hosted the conference to mark the culmination of the EU Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) funded Leadership for Energy Action and Planning (LEAP) Project.
South Dublin County Council has been participating in the LEAP project since May 2011. In partnership with the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) and eight other local authorities across Europe, SDCC has produced a countywide Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP) which underpins a wider energy programme being carried out by the Council. The SEAP contains a range of actions across sectors, structured under the guiding principles of ‘Record, Reduce & Replace’ and showcase areas that the Council has a proven track record in. The Council signed up to the Covenant of Mayors in June 2012 and submitted the SEAP to the Covenant for EU verification in June 2013.
The ‘Energy Planning for Local Authorities’conference showcased the wider achievements of the LEAP project and disseminated emerging best practice in energy planning by local authorities in Ireland and across Europe. The conference also highlighted the opportunities available to local authorities in Ireland by engaging in EU projects, facilitated under the Intelligent Energy Europe programme and other EU funding streams. The conference was attended by the LEAP project partners, local authorities across Ireland, planning consultants and energy agencies.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr. Daniel McLoughlin stated, ‘At the heart of the LEAP project lies the belief that the Local Authority is in a unique position to offer civic leadership and act as a sectoral platform for energy planning and action at the county and regional level. The concept of shared-services at the heart of Local Government reform also demands shared knowledge and capacity. In the smart region all the principal players must become equally smart’.
Mayor Dermot Looney welcomed the conference stating, ‘All of us here are well aware of our commitments towards energy efficiency and carbon reduction under European legislation. By participating in the LEAP project South Dublin County Council recognises the need for Local Authorities to work together in partnership with their communities and key stakeholders to generate understanding and action. Together this can be made to work from the individual family right up to the development of county and regional energy actions towards efficiency and renewable energy sources’.
The conference speeches and presentations can be viewed / downloaded at the following link: http://www.southdublinenergy.ie/?p=272
Tallaght has been designated as a Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. The key aim of this programme is to develop a series of Irish communities as evidence based ‘living laboratories’ to establish a culture of innovation and facilitate the emergence of new sustainable energy technologies and practices that grow energy smart towns and cities. The Council is currently exploring a range of energy initiatives in Tallaght, including the feasibility of a local district heating system for Tallaght town centre.
During their visit to South Dublin between 9th – 11th October 2013, EU LEAP delegates from UK, Germany, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia visited the Adamstown Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) and the Valhalla low carbon residential development, both of which are exemplar projects, demonstrating the Council’s continuing commitment to sustainable development and energy efficiency.
Further information is available from the South Dublin Energy Team energyteam@sdublincoco.ie or 01-4149000 ext. 2389 or at website www.southdublinenergy.ie