The Energy Dimension of Cities

Abstract

Since the world population tends to aggregate in cities, the energy demand is growing in cities. Sustainable development should therefore be implemented in cities to minimise its environmental impacts. Accordingly, local authorities should pay ever more attention to energy management in their territories. The creation of administrative structures dealing with energy management is one key tool to implement the appropriate policies. The history and the evolution of such a strategy in the European Union will be presented. Cities that want to promote the use of renewable energy in their territory should consider seriously the potential of the waste-to-energy process. The most virtuous cities in the European Union for urban waste management are those generating energy out of them. Heating is the most abundant final energy used in the EU. Therefore, local authorities should implement policies to address energy-saving policies in their buildings acting on the heating and cooling sector. Finally, since energy is the basis of transport, the development of electric vehicles in cities will be considered. However, despite its environmental advantages, the unequivocal weaknesses of this technology will limit its massive and rapid deployment. Therefore, the swiftly available technology of the natural gas vehicles will be presented and advocated.