Preparations have been going on for some time, and now it's official: For the first time in the city's history, a local energy company is operating the power grid.
In other words: In the future, the Olching-based company will be able to contact the Stadtwerke directly in the event of a power failure and not - as before - the Bayernwerke.
Olching
- The power grid was already taken over in January 2018 - but still leased to the previous supplier, Bayernwerke.
Now there was the official handover to the Stadtwerke Olching Stromnetzgesellschaft, a subsidiary of the local Stadtwerke, in which the Bayernwerke are still involved.
In a concession agreement, the municipality formally granted the company the right to operate the electricity grid.
This includes the construction of systems and lines on urban roads and properties.
Some of the services are still with Bayernwerke due to personnel bottlenecks, as a spokeswoman for the municipal utility explains.
However, the electricity customers would no longer feel it.
Proof of trust for the municipal utilities
The contract was signed by Vice Mayor Maximilian Gigl and the two managing directors of the power grid company Karlheinz Denner and Thomas Grulke (also head of the municipal utilities).
Mayor Andreas Magg (SPD) was left out because he is also chairman of the supervisory board of the municipal utilities.
The award means a great vote of confidence, explained Grulke.
It is an important step towards the future of energy.
"Stadtwerke Olching Stromnetzgesellschaft has presented the most conclusive concept for a future-oriented, long-term, secure supply and has shown how it can actually advance the energy transition in Olching."
That also convinced the city council.
Vice-Mayor Maximilian Gigl (CSU) affirmed: "With a local network operator in which the city has an indirect stake, the local participation in the design of the network is growing, especially with regard to the energy future and security of Olching."
Mayor Magg emphasizes: "It is a historic step for the city to have an Olching-based company as a network operator for the first time." This offers technical advantages on the one hand, but also creates new jobs.
According to Managing Director Denner, around seven million euros will flow into innovative technologies and the expansion of the network by 2024.
The focus is on: the new substation, the re-wiring of overhead lines in the medium-voltage range and the replacement of new transformer by compact stations.
Orders would preferably be given to domestic service providers.
Stadtwerke boss Grulke sees the increasing number of decentralized systems for renewable energy as a challenge.
This would increase the requirements for network expansion in order to keep the supply stable.
But: "We have a lot of know-how, also with regard to the use of innovative grid stabilization techniques, and we invest with foresight."
