Mälardalen Energy Agency

Mälardalen Energy Agency (MEA) is a regional energy agency with commitments in four counties in Sweden: Södermanland, Västmanland, Uppsala and Gotland. MEA initiates, co-ordinates and implements projects aimed at improving the energy efficiency and increased supply of renewable energy in all sectors of the society. We work strategically and systematically to link the projects at the local and regional level with the national and European policies.

MEA was established in 1999, in the framework of the SAVE programme. Since 2007, the activities have been operated under the Mälardalen Energy Agency Ltd on not-for-profit basis. The agency is owned by the municipalities in the region with six related public energy companies.

MEA is an active member of national and European associations and networks. On the European level, MEA is in contact with 50 regional energy agencies through FEDARENE, the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment. MEA also participates in the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy to promote the initiative in the Mälardalen region and give the municipalities guidance in the process the signatories are expected to go through in order to fulfil their commitments.

All the 15 Swedish agencies, including MEA, are members of the National Association for the Swedish Regional Energy Agencies. The association has a close co-operation with the Swedish Energy Agency; both as a co-funding part of sustainable energy projects, but also as a national partner in preparing the regional and local implementation of EU directives.

About the region
The region is home to almost 1 million people, about a tenth of Sweden’s total population, and is highly industrialised with many multinational companies such as ABB, Ericsson, Volvo and Bombardier. The region is characterised by few cities surrounded by minor urban areas and large sparsely populated rural areas. Major cities are Uppsala (210,000 inhabitants), Västerås (145,000 inhabitants) and Eskilstuna (103,000 inhabitants). Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is the oldest centre of higher education in Scandinavia. Mälardalen University, with one campus in Västerås and one in Eskilstuna, has over 14,000 students.

Organisation (About our owners)

Mälardalen Energy Agency is an independent regional expertise and co-operation resource in the energy and climate fields. We are a non-profit limited liability company and completely owned by the municipalities in the region.

Operations

To step up public authorities’ capacity to help deliver the energy transition, our operations have five main pillars, realizing the potential of multi-level governance:

1. Co-ordination and support actions for the work of municipal energy counsellors. A task from the Swedish Energy Agency.
2. Regional energy specialist competence: supporting the municipalities in the region with energy plans.
3. Extensive project activities in the area of energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport. In 2015, over 20 projects and assignments in cooperation with more than 80 partners.
4. A national partner in preparing the regional and local implementation of EU directives, through the National Association for the Swedish Regional Energy Agencies
5. Information about EU programmes and access to financing to support the local and regional energy transition.

The activities are aimed at improving the energy efficiency and increased supply of renewable energy in all sectors of the society.