Budapest workshop explores the future of Energy Communities
On 4 December 2024, the Policy Learning Platform organized a pivotal workshop in Budapest, Hungary, bringing together 70 public authorities and partners from Interreg Europe projects to discuss the future of Energy Communities in Europe. The workshop provided a platform for sharing knowledge and exploring the role of Energy Communities in empowering local populations to generate, consume, and manage their renewable energy.
Fostering energy transition
Energy Communities are an increasingly important part of Europe’s energy transition, promoting sustainable development, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulating local economies through job creation and reduced energy costs. Municipalities and regions play a crucial role in the establishment of these communities, but many are uncertain about how to begin. This workshop aimed to address these challenges by providing practical guidance on how to engage citizens in the early stages of Energy Community development.
With 69 policymakers in attendance, the event featured an interactive training session on community formation led by RESCoop.eu, an association dedicated to supporting energy cooperatives across Europe. The session focused on strategies for fostering citizen engagement and empowering local communities to take the lead in renewable energy initiatives.
Contributions from Interreg Europe projects
Presentations were also delivered by various Interreg Europe projects focused on Energy Communities, including BIOWIND, LEEWAY, REC4EU, ShareRES, and SIreNERGY.
The workshop explored several case studies that demonstrated effective approaches for communicating with citizens, engaging local stakeholders, and providing tools and methods for supporting the emergence of Energy Communities. Discussions highlighted that while these case studies were considered replicable, they need to be customized to suit local contexts. It was emphasized that municipalities, especially in less experienced regions, must take the lead in implementing these initiatives.
ENLUCES initiative
Beatriz Rico and Ana Martínez from the Extremadura Energy Agency, lead partner of the ShareRES project, presented the regional Good Practice ENLUCES: Energy Communities Germinator for Extremadura.
ENLUCES is an initiative launched by the energy cooperative EnVerde to empower citizens in energy community development. The initiative includes training and capacity-building activities for various audiences, a network of local promoters, and a web platform to connect stakeholders across the third sector, private sector, public administration, and academia. The ENLUCES network comprises ambassadors and local heroes who motivate citizens and act as disseminators of energy community knowledge. The platform enables communication and interaction between different actors, offering access to resources, documents, online training courses, and a roadmap for establishing Energy Communities. After one year of implementation, ENLUCES has successfully supported the creation of four Energy Communities.
For more information on the key findings and conclusions of the workshop, visit: Energy Communities Key Learnings. This workshop marked an important step in advancing the role of local authorities and communities in Europe’s energy transition, providing practical solutions and fostering collaboration to establish sustainable, citizen-driven energy solutions across the continent.