MORE4NRG
To reduce the effects of climate change and prepare for the decline of the oil-age, European regions play a key role in promoting, developing and implementing renewable energy sources (RES) combined with energy efficiency strategies. Many EU regions are taking action in this field, defining specific objectives and action plans to improve the use of RES and energy efficiency in their area. More than 80 European regions have signed the Declaration “European Regions for Energy efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources”, initiated by the Association of European Regions (AER) in 2006, underlining the urgency of the issue and the role of regions.
In the wake of this declaration 11 EU partners, Flevoland (NL, lead), Abruzzo (IT), EPF (BG), Lazio (IT), Maramures (RO), Norrbotten (SE), Noord-Brabant (NL), Prahova (RO), Västernorrland (SE), Valencia (ES) and Western Greece, joined forces with the AER in this project. The objective of MORE4NRG is to strengthen the delivery of regional
strategies for RES and energy efficiency by exchanging best practices on sustainable energy policies and jointly developing an integrated monitoring tool for measuring the effect of regional sustainable energy strategies. 

Regions developing sustainable energy policies face many interrelated challenges. They need to find the appropriate alternative energy sources and energy efficiency measures fitting their regional characteristics. With a regional strategy in place they need to create incentives and methods to reach their targets, involving all stakeholders in the region. Regions also need tools to demonstrate progress, to support implementation and evaluation of their strategies.

MORE4NRG will address these interrelated issues at an interregional level, combining the identification, analysis and processing of best practices in RES and energy efficiency for the benefit of all partners with specific support to the partner regions with less developed sustainable energy strategies.
The project places strong emphasis on dissemination of results to other regions and raising awareness on the sustainable energy issue. 

Project activities include an analysis of the state of the art of energy strategies and a study of the framework conditions for generating development of and investment in regional renewable energy infrastructures. Several seminars will focus in detail on the state of the art in energy strategies. Peer reviews will be performed by experts from more experienced partner regions in the less experienced regions to review and improve their regional energy strategies. A mutual learning seminar will bring together the experiences and effects of the peer reviews and other lessons learned during the project for all partners. All project results will feed into a toolkit for regional sustainable energy strategies including monitoring tools for measuring the effect of regional sustainable energy strategies. This toolkit will be available for all EU regions.