Local office holders learn how to use renewable sources of energy and to step up the energy efficiency actions in settlements. The Public Administration Academy has launched the renewable energy and energy efficiency course, which is an initiative of the EU-UNDP Moldova Energy and Biomass Project and of the Agency for Energy Efficiency, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from UNDP. The course is taught by the rector of the Public Administration Academy Vasile Marina. “It is for the first time that the Public Administration Academy addresses this subject, which is a very important one for Moldova. Besides offering knowledge of alternative energy and energy efficiency, I want this course to motivate the local office holders to use renewable energy in their own settlements,” he stated. Deputy head of Calarasi district Petru Cosoi, who is a participant in the course, said he wants to find out exhaustive information about how to transform the natural sources into energy, how to conserve energy and how to improve the energy performance of buildings. Victoria Ignat, training and capacity building specialist of the Energy and Biomass Project, said it is important that the local and regional decision makers know the energy efficiency measures, the potential and the possibilities of using the renewable sources of energy. The four-year Moldova Energy and Biomass Project (2011-2014) has a total budget of €14.56 million, provided by the European Union (€14 million), and UNDP Moldova (€560,000).