- Thanks to this grant, they will be able to develop sustainable mobility initiatives, lighting renovation, installation of photovoltaic solar panels, renewable electricity generation or the fight against light pollution
- The number of beneficiary municipalities could grow once the total of 61 applications received are reviewed
- The success of the call has twice led to an increase in the budget, which went from the initial 325 million to the final amount of 675 million
A total of 14 small municipalities in the Community of Madrid have already received a favourable opinion for granting aid for unique local clean energy projects within the framework of the DUS 5000 programme for investment aid for unique local clean energy projects in municipalities of demographic challenge.
These are the municipalities of Casarrubuelos, Valdilecha, Olmeda de las Fuentes, Valdeolmos-Alalpardo, Titulcia, La Cabrera, Bustarviejo, Villar del Olmo, Redueña, Valdetorres de Jarama and Santorcaz, and the community of the Atazar reservoir.
Sustainable mobility projects, renovation of lighting, installation of photovoltaic solar panels, renewable electricity generation or the fight against light pollution can become a reality thanks to the subsidies of the DUS 5000 program that transports financing of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) in municipalities "of demographic challenge", that is, with a population of up to 5,000 inhabitants or in non-urban municipalities, scattered in nuclei of that population size, of up to 20,000 inhabitants.
The objective is to promote the energy transition in small municipalities or at risk of depopulation and thus give a boost to Sustainable Urban Development in them through actions that constitute unique clean energy projects such as energy efficiency projects in buildings and public infrastructures, promoting green investments and, in particular, self-consumption, as well as sustainable mobility, facilitating modal change and ensuring the participation of municipalities in the deployment of the infrastructure to recharge and boost the electric vehicle, including measures to save energy and reduce light pollution through the improvement of public lighting.
The funds are managed directly by the Institute for Diversification and Energy Saving (IDAE), an entity under the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, which is also the body responsible for the technical and administrative evaluation of applications. Therefore, it has strengthened its internal resources to respond to all beneficiaries in the shortest possible time, so the pace of evaluation of applications is increasing.
A total of 61 applications have been received from municipalities in Madrid, of which 28 are within the budget of the call and the individualized evaluation of each file is proceeding, while the remaining 33 applications have been definitively left out of budget.
Of the 61 files admitted as having been received within the budget, 10 were received thanks to the expansion of the budget of the DUS 500 call, which went from the initial 325 million to the final amount 675 million, after noting the enormous interest that the municipal fabric has shown in joining the policies of energy efficiency, sustainable mobility and green urban transformation.