The district heating network including the central plant and also the client base in the city of Winnenden have a new owner: The grid (23,4 km in total) and about 800 subscribers were transferred by STEAG New Energies GmbH to Fernwärme Winnenden GmbH & Co. KG, a company in which Stadtwerke Winnenden (the municipal energy supplier) holds 51 % and a subsidiary of STEAG New Energies GmbH holds 49 % of the shares. Law firms Orth Kluth (leading: Rechtsanwalt Dr. Robert Orth) for STEAG as well as Becker Büttner Held (BBH, leading: Rechtsanwalt and Steuerberater Oliver K. Eifertinger) for the city of Winnenden have provided legal advice on the transfer.

When the licensing agreement between the city of Winnenden and STEAG had ended in 2015, the city decided to award the contract on the district heating network to a new contractor. From now on, there will be a cooperation in the form of an institutionalized public private partnership (IPPP) with Stadtwerken Winnenden and STEAG. The majority interest will be held by Stadtwerke Winnenden in the form of a municipal participation.