About 50 new public utilities and more than 100 grid acquisitions in recent years indicate that many local policymakers want to make greater use of the opportunities associated with an own municipal utility. Municipal utilities can significantly contribute to local budgets and take on important social tasks. Thus, municipal utilities help to carry out projects at the local level, that otherwise would not have been possible. Due to expiring concession contracts during the next years, municipalities have a good chance to take over the local grids and to start re-communalisation. In the past decades, however, big energy companies have developed numerous strategies to protect their vested interest by concession contracts against local intentions. The study will identify the strategic measures taken by big energy companies, in order to prepare local (mostly honorary) policy makers for a successful takeover of the local grids.