Energy supply: District and town of Brilon want to work together
Whether gas network, fault clearance management or wind power: Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg (EWF) and Stadtwerke Brilon have been working closely together in various areas for several years. The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg and the town of Brilon, as the owners of the companies, now want to intensify this cooperation through joint management - and have also appointed EWF boss Frank Benz as the new interim managing director and board member of Stadtwerke Brilon.
Benz succeeds Reuber
He succeeds Axel Reuber, who left Briloner Stadtwerke on 19 March this year. Frank Benz, who has also been a member of the Supervisory Board of Stadtwerke Brilon Energie GmbH for several years in his role as Managing Director of the Zweckverband Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg association, will temporarily take over the Board of Directors and management on 23 March 2026. The Supervisory Board of Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg and the Board of Directors of Stadtwerke Brilon Energie GmbH recently decided in favour of this at their committee meetings.
Examining further forms of cooperation together
"In Frank Benz, our municipal utilities are getting a new manager with many years of experience in the field of energy and business management," says the Mayor of Brilon, Dr Christof Bartsch, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company and the Supervisory Boards of the associated companies of Stadtwerke Brilon AöR. "He can look back on more than 20 years of professional experience in the energy sector and will use his expertise to strengthen and sustainably expand the energy supply in our region." District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EWF, adds: "Our common goal is to continue to look at the extent to which we can realise further forms of cooperation between our regional energy suppliers."
EWF and Stadtwerke Brilon have already been working closely together for several years in various fields, such as supporting the operational management of Stadtwerke Brilon's gas network, fault clearance management for gas and the construction and operation of the Brilon I wind farm. "I have great respect for the task. At the same time, it is a unique opportunity and a bold step for us as municipal utilities to develop new ideas beyond our national borders," says Frank Benz, looking forward to the additional challenge.
In addition to the continuation of Stadtwerke Brilon's ongoing business, the main focus is on examining the possibility of cooperation and closer collaboration between the companies. This could open up new opportunities for all sides - beyond national borders and supply areas - that could serve as a model for regional energy suppliers.
Background: Stadtwerke Brilon
In addition to supplying around 26,100 people with drinking water and natural gas, electricity and heat, Stadtwerke Brilon is responsible for the disposal of wastewater in Brilon. They are also the operator of the building yard and the service provider for the municipal civil engineering department. In addition to providing a reliable and secure supply to their customers, they also assume social responsibility for the people of Brilon, the town and the economic area. The town and thus the local citizens benefit from the income generated. They continuously invest in the expansion and maintenance of the infrastructure and consciously rely on regional suppliers and service providers. In this way, they create and secure jobs in Brilon and support cultural and social projects.
Background: Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg
As an energy service provider in the North Hesse region, Energie Waldeck-Frankenberg GmbH (EWF) has close ties with the towns and municipalities it supplies. It supplies more than 90,000 households with electricity and also supplies gas, heat and water. It also offers suitable energy solutions for the whole house - from charging stations for electric cars and electricity storage systems to photovoltaic systems on the roof. EWF also organises local public transport for the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg and the town of Korbach, supports municipal projects such as the modernisation of street lighting and owns several swimming pools. More than 400 employees at EWF contribute to a secure, reliable, sustainable and fair local energy supply.
Caption: Finding out about the "Pib" project at Korbach Vocational Grammar School - District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst with Head of Department Andreas Schön, Head of Media Centre Alexander Emde and the members of the "robot group". (Photo: District of Waldeck-Frankenberg)