Local energy communities and engagement

Representatives from the Swedish islands, researchers, and energy experts gathered for a webinar hosted by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Clean energy for EU islands (CE4EUI) Secretariat to discuss how energy communities can strengthen local resilience and accelerate the clean energy transition on islands.Although interest in energy communities in Sweden has increased following the recent energy price crisis and geopolitical tensions, their development remains limited compared to that in many other EU countries.

A new Position Paper published under the Clean energy for EU islands initiative has highlighted the pressing need for a more flexible regulatory framework to help Denmark’s island communities advance their green transition.

This policy brief highlights the role of national governments in fostering the development of energy communities in their territories overall, and in particular on how to support energy communities in fulfilling their potential for social cohesion.The policy brief first reviews the transposition process of the first-generation EU legislation on energy communities and key aspects of it. It then outlines the new provisions that Member states will need to adopt in the coming years as part of the second-generation EU legislation on energy communities.

This policy brief highlights the different roles that local governments can play to foster socially inclusive renewable energy schemes, building notably on the Sun4All experience, which exemplifies the many kinds of municipal involvement and business models that can exist when dealing with energy poverty and energy sharing schemes. The policy brief also lays out a set of recommendations for local authorities regarding funding, policy, technical assistance and governance.You can find here the recommendations for the national level and for the EU level.

This policy brief gives a brief overview of the political and regulatory context at the European level for the development of energy communities, focusing on their social role. The brief shows that while regulation of energy communities is still in its infancy, it benefits from a good political dynamic pushed by the EU. Nevertheless, the social obligations ascribed to energy communities as non-traditional market players are not matched with the support needed to meet such expectations.

A recent workshop (19 March 2024, Gotland / Sweden) jointly organised by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Samsø Energy Academy delved into crucial strategies for effective communication and stakeholder engagement concerning energy and sustainability. Hosted under the guidance of Clean energy for EU islands secretariat, the workshop garnered insights aimed at advancing clean energy transitions across European islands under the 30 for 2030 call.The workshop, titled "Strategies for Effective Communication and Stakeholder Engagement on Energy and Sustainability,"

LocalRES is an EU-funded project that will deploy innovative local energy systems to put renewable energy into the hands of communities and people. The project will boost structural changes in the current energy system at different levels: generation, market, distribution and consumers.

HATECHNO monitors the trends and challenges of international energy systems. Based on model-based analyses and proven methods, HATECHNO comprehensevely advises islands in the areas of energy transformation, renewable energy and societal transformation. HATECHNO offers a wide range of services covering the entire socially responsible energy transition spectrum; digital engineering services, capacity building and empowerment of island communities. Our DES+ studies are tailored analyses for the specific needs of the islands.

Samsø, Denmark, once a meeting place for the vikings now is a gathering place for people interested in community development and sustainability.