Kildare County Council Leads as a Repower Region
24 March 2025: In 2023, Kildare County Council launched its Climate Action Plan 2024–2029, outlining a roadmap to create a low-carbon, climate-resilient county by delivering and promoting best practices in climate action. Building on this momentum, Kildare County Council is now leading Repower Regions, a prestigious three-year Erasmus+ Alliance for Innovation project focused on decarbonisation, digital skills, and sustainable solutions in Europe’s heating and cooling sector, an energy-intensive industry that accounts for nearly half of Europe’s total energy consumption.
Bringing together twelve partners from ten European countries, the Repower Regions project was officially launched in Naas on 20th March 2025. Speaking about the event Ms. Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Kildare County Council, emphasised its ambitious scope. She highlighted that the initiative would strengthen energy security and build economic resilience while advancing Europe’s mission to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
With a growing demand for skilled professionals in sustainable heating and cooling, Repower Regions is actively engaging stakeholders across Europe.
As an Erasmus+ Alliance for Innovation project, Repower Regions will enhance the capacity of higher education (HE), vocational education (VET), and continuous vocational education and training (CVET) institutions to provide updated and industry-relevant training in sustainable heating and cooling systems. Over the next three years, the partnership will focus on supplying educators with the latest industry insights, revised curricula, and modern teaching methods. It will also develop an educational course and training materials for current and future workers in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and construction sectors. By bridging the skills gap, this initiative will equip professionals with green and digital skills, essential for decarbonising Europe’s built environment. Companies will benefit from a more skilled workforce, enabling them to undertake innovative projects and maintain competitiveness in the clean energy sector.
The launch event, hosted by Kildare County Council, marked the first in-person meeting of project partners. Speaking of the event, Sonya Kavanagh Chief Executive, Kildare County Council said: “The Repower regions project highlights the many opportunities to engage with and benefit from Repower Regions. As one of Ireland’s largest local authorities, Kildare County Council is proud to lead this project, strengthening regional and European partnerships while driving investment in the clean energy sector.”
Whether you are an educator, policymaker, or industry professional, this project offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of Europe’s clean energy transformation. Stay updated on upcoming opportunities to participate via our website: repowerregions.eu and social media channels. Repower Regions: About | LinkedIn, Facebook
