While islands are particularly vulnerable to climate change, they enjoy a naturally high potential of renewable energy sources to harness. Many islands have abundant renewable energy potential, which can be tapped to lead decarbonisation. However, access to reliable, clean and competitive sources of energy remains a main concern of island communities in the EU. Although it is often technically and financially possible to develop renewable energy projects on islands, legal and regulatory frameworks, whether EU, national, regional or local, are not always fitfor purpose. In order to better understand how legal and regulatory frameworks help or hinder the development of local decarbonised energy systems on EU islands of seven specific Member States, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat examined the frameworks of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Croatia and Estonia. The study identifies regulatory and policy barriers to the clean energy transition on the islands and formulates concrete recommendations to overcome them. For each of the Member States these findings were discussed with diverse national stakeholders in two online Focus Group Meetings and a physical National Stakeholder Meeting. This study is deliverable of the Task Force 2 – Think Tank on legislation and regulation for islands of the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat.
Find an online version here.