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Ulm starts citizen investments: energy transition and housing construction are booming!
Citizens from Ulm can invest in housing and renewable energies from September 2025, despite risk warnings.
Ulm starts citizen investments: energy transition and housing construction are booming!
Something exciting is happening in the area of citizen participation in the city of Ulm. The municipal companies SWU (Stadtwerke Ulm) and UWS (Ulm Wohnbau) plan to offer citizens investment opportunities that invest directly in housing construction and the expansion of renewable energies. This initiative could not only stimulate the local economy, but also give a large part of the population the chance to benefit from the energy transition. Loud daily news The SWU's investments are expected to include around one billion euros in renewable energies and the UWS around 250 million euros in housing construction.
The idea behind this project is clear: Ulm needs additional capital, especially as interest rates have risen and government funding has declined. Citizens will have the opportunity to invest in the form of subordinated loans or profit participation capital. But financial expert Niels Nauhauser warns against underestimating the associated risks. Citizens' investments are considered risky and, in the event of insolvency, they rank second behind other creditors. A certain residual risk always remains, even if the city of Ulm might want to offer security or guarantees.
The role of citizen participation
The idea of citizen participation is not new, but is becoming increasingly important in the current debate about the energy transition. Loud Wiwin Involving the population can help to successfully implement the energy transition at a micro level and further increase the share of renewable energies, which already accounted for 60% of the German electricity mix in 2024. The federal government plans to increase the proportion to 80% by 2030, which is only possible by building and connecting more systems.
What is interesting is that over 85% of companies in the energy sector rely on financial citizen participation in order to increase acceptance of the energy transition. The majority of people see private participation as the key to promoting acceptance. Cooperation between municipalities and residents plays a crucial role. So far, several federal states have already passed laws regarding financial participation in energy transition projects.
The future of the energy transition
In order to overcome the challenges associated with the energy transition, it is essential to create a uniform regulation for citizen and municipal participation, such as: BDEW emphasized. The expansion of wind energy should be closely linked to the interests of local communities. A corresponding law in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania shows that it is possible to strengthen local participation. Such developments could also follow in other federal states and promote acceptance across the board.
The investment opportunities of the SWU and UWS are very promising, and it shows that citizen participation can be an important instrument in the energy transition. Finance Mayor Bendel emphasizes the importance of promoting local investments. The planned options should be accessible to all Ulm citizens for just a few hundred euros. The final details are currently being worked on. It remains to be seen whether and how these plans will appeal to citizens and whether the city of Ulm's good hand will pay off.