How is it going? Rzeszow and Krosno strengthen climate and energy planning

The cities of Rzeszów and Krosno are involved as pilot municipalities in the Enercracy project. As part of the pilot, the cities are updating their planning documents to address challenges related to climate change, energy security, and the transition to more sustainable energy systems. Each city is focusing on two documents: the “Climate Change Adaptation Plan” and the “Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plan”. These documents aim to increase the resilience of local communities and prepare the cities for changing environmental and energy conditions. An added benefit of participating in the Enercracy project pilot is the opportunity to draw on the practices and experiences of partners from Europe, specifically from the Baltic Sea Region. The Enercracy project partners have developed the Draft Model Catalogue of Measures for Energy Plans, which is now being used to update the aforementioned plans. It can be said that the cities of Rzeszów and Krosno are the first in Poland to implement solutions based on the international best practices developed within the Enercracy project.

Rzeszow

The city of Rzeszów, the capital of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, has a rapidly developing infrastructure and growing energy needs. The city’s development, changing demand for heat and energy, and the energy transition are increasing the importance of a stable, efficient, and more sustainable energy system. At the same time, climate change -including more frequent heat waves and extreme weather events – requires that the city’s resilience is taken into account in long-term planning.

To help Rzeszów adapt to climate change, reduce its vulnerability to extreme weather events, and increase its capacity to cope with their impacts, an update to the Climate Change Adaptation Plan through 2030 is being developed. The update incorporates lessons learned since the first plan was developed and a new assessment of the climate-related risks facing the city. The document goes beyond identifying risks; it aims to develop actions that can be integrated into the city’s future development. The update process also provides an opportunity to engage local stakeholders and residents.

The draft of the updated plan was presented for public consultation in August 2026, allowing residents and other interested parties to submit comments on the proposed solutions. The consultation is an important step toward completing the plan’s update, with the next steps including analysis of the submitted comments and finalisation of the document.

Updating the adaptation plan is not the only way Rzeszów is looking toward the future. The city is also updating the Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plan. The work, which began in 2026, aims to create a document that defines and specifies the city’s energy policy at the strategic level. It will contain a comprehensive description of power sources, power grids, and distribution systems, along with a balance of energy and fuel consumption. This document will define the city’s energy needs for the specified period, as well as the possibilities and methods for meeting them; it will also provide a current overview of the city’s energy needs and the directions for the development of its energy infrastructure. Work on the new version of the plan is currently underway, and the document is scheduled to be finalised later this year.

Both documents address different aspects of the city’s future but are linked. Climate change can affect energy demand and infrastructure functioning, while the development of energy systems impacts emissions, resource use, and the potential to transition to a more sustainable model.

Together, these processes offer cities the opportunity to view climate resilience and energy development as complementary elements of long-term urban planning.

Krosno

Krosno is a city in the southern part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, with well-developed industrial and service sectors for which access to stable, secure energy supplies is of significant importance. Consequently, the city is developing solutions related to local energy generation and use – including through the Krosno Energy Cluster – and is also exploiting the energy potential associated with waste management. At the same time, the city is preparing for the consequences of climate change, which means that matters of energy, infrastructure, and urban resilience are becoming increasingly intertwined.

Krosno is following a similar path to Rzeszów. In early 2026, the city began developing an update to the Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plan for 2026–2029. This update addresses changes in the city’s energy demand, infrastructure development, and broader conditions affecting the local energy system, which is currently undergoing significant changes. The growing importance of renewable energy sources, the need to improve energy efficiency, the modernisation of existing infrastructure, and the changing legal framework are all reshaping how cities plan for their future energy needs.

The document covers three key areas of local energy supply – heat, electricity, and gas fuel – while taking into account future demand, infrastructure development, and opportunities related to renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency. A draft of the document was presented for public consultation in mid-2026, and the updated assumptions were subsequently forwarded for further processing toward acceptance.

At the same time, the city is developing an update to the Climate Change Adaptation Plan. This work results from the growing need to determine how climate change may affect the city and what measures can reduce its vulnerability to these events. The challenges identified by the city include, among others, heavy rainfall, heat waves, and droughts, which may affect urban infrastructure, public spaces, and residents’ comfort and safety.

Krosno is currently drafting the document. On September 22, 2026, the city invited residents to participate in a meeting on climate change adaptation, thereby creating an opportunity to incorporate local knowledge and residents’ perspectives into the document’s preparation. Subsequent stages will involve further work on the document, followed by its finalisation.

The development and update of these documents by both cities are part of their obligations under Polish law. Legal regulations require periodic updates to documents concerning cities’ Climate Change Adaptation Plans and the Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plan – at least every 6 years for Climate Change Adaptation Plans and every 3 years for the Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plans. This requirement is intended to ensure that local planning documents remain up to date and take into account changing climate and energy conditions, as well as the cities’ development needs.

The update of planning documents in Rzeszów and Krosno is currently supported by the Draft Model Catalogue of Measures for Energy Plans developed as part of the Enercracy project. The Catalogue is being used in the overall work on four documents, with two documents being developed for each city: the “Climate Change Adaptation Plan” and the “Assumptions to the Heat, Electricity and Gas Supply Plan”.

The opportunity to use the Draft Model Catalogue of Measures for Energy Plans is the result of Rzeszów and Krosno’s active participation in the project. Both cities participated in the National Workgroup and in the creation of the Catalogue, which allowed them not only to benefit from the experiences of partners from other countries but also to contribute their own knowledge and perspectives. The cities are currently using the experience gained to update their documents.

While preparing the documents, the cities were also able to consult with experts involved in the Enercracy project on particular issues. The experts had the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience and to identify relevant solutions from the Catalogue that could be incorporated into the documents.

Thus, the Enercracy project has served as a practical bridge between international cooperation and local-level planning. The partners’ experiences, the Draft Model Catalogue of Measures for Energy Plans, and the experts’ knowledge were applied to address the specific energy and climate needs and challenges of Rzeszów and Krosno.

The work carried out by both cities demonstrates how local planning can transform broad challenges, such as climate change and the energy transition, into concrete urban development priorities. By updating existing strategies and developing new documents, Rzeszów and Krosno are laying the foundation for building cities better prepared for future environmental, energy, and social challenges.

Programme Manual Online

Choose