With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a strategic tool in the EU’s climate policy toolkit has awoken: energy independence. However, as the EU Commission’s plan for energy independence looks towards other fossil-fuel-rich suppliers to wean member states off Russian energy imports, Rafael Pinto argues the EU is missing an important opportunity to bring its energy security policy in line with its climate goals.
ENEA recently participated through the contribution of experts from the National Energy Efficiency Agency, in the drafting of the “WHITE PAPER: Open Dialogue on Energy Poverty”, a text prepared by the Alliance Against Energy Poverty, with the participation of other important stakeholders at national level such as associations, citizen representatives, research bodies, specialists and professionals
In September 2020, the Austrian government published the draft Renewable Energy Expansion Act (Erneuerbaren-Ausbau-Gesetz, REEA), a comprehensive legislation package aimed at reshaping the Austrian legal framework on renewable energy generation, distribution, and consumption. Most recently, in March 2021, the government presented its final version of the REEA, which is now subject to deliberation and approval by the Austrian parliament, and which it aims to enter into force as soon as by the end of the first half of 2021. As outlined in our recent feature article, one of the main pillars supporting Austria’s attempt to achieve its share of the European climate targets will be to implement what are known as energy communities. In a nutshell, energy communities, as an important component of the planned energy transition in Austria, are non-profit-orientated legal entities intended to decentralize the generation, distribution, and consumption of renewable energy mainly for the public benefit.
El Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico ha lanzado este viernes una nueva convocatoria de expresiones de interés para recabar iniciativas que promuevan las comunidades energéticas como nuevos modelos para democratizar la producción energética a través de un sistema organizativo controlado por un conjunto de ciudadanos, pymes o entidades locales.
n 2018, the real amount invested in the European Union's energy transition fell short of the funding level required to reach the 2030 climate and energy targets by €179 billion. Citizen-led finance in renewable energy development emerges as an innovative tool to bridge this investment gap. However, in spite of the European Union's ambition to involve local communities for co-driving the low-carbon energy transition, there is no comprehensive analysis quantifying citizens' potential to co-finance and participate in community renewable energy initiatives across Europe. We address this knowledge gap through a representative choice experiment survey that collected responses from 16,235 participants to different hypothetical investment options on renewable energy schemes across all European Union Member States, and estimate the social potential of European citizens to participate and invest in community-administered wind farms. Results from a novel survey-based social simulation indicate that €176 billion could be obtained from citizen-led finance in community-administered wind farm developments, enough to halve the investment gap to achieve a 32% renewable energy share in final energy consumption by 2030. Our analysis substantiates the case for facilitating easily accessible, risk-insured community investment options across Europe to unlock citizens' social potential for investing in community renewable energy.
The Brighton Energy Co-op aims to run and finance renewable energy projects in Brighton & Hove whilst benefiting the local community and the environment.They wantto enable people to invest money into renewable energy projects that provide asmall financial returnto its members but alsodeliver environmental and social benefits. In theprocess they aimtomake the running of renewable projects more democratic. This innovation history traces the development of the Brighton Energy Co-op from its conception (i.e. the coming together of three people in June 2010)throughits development phase, with its numerous setbacks and comebacks (e.g. provokedby changes to the Feed-in-Tariff)to its share launch in May 2012. This is a story of persistence, determination and opportunism
I’m writing this piece from my living room couch, my kids out of school and doing a “home school” schedule while my wife and I try to work. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts about how decentralized and democratized energy systems might help us weather things like the current COVID-19 pandemic.… Read More
De plus en plus, nos villes sont devenues le lieu où sévissent la spéculation, les exclusions de toutes sortes et la ségrégation sociale. Pourtant, de l’Espagne aux États-Unis et à l’Afrique du Sud, en passant par le Chili, le Rojava syrien, la Serbie, la Pologne ou la France, des groupes renversent cette logique et inventent une nouvelle manière de vivre ensemble. Ce mouvement de démocratie radicale, qui s’ancre au niveau local mais se connecte au monde, place les citoyens au centre des décisions publiques et de la sauvegarde de l’intérêt général. Il réintroduit la démocratie directe en s’appuyant sur des valeurs sociales, féministes, écologiques et solidaires pour ouvrir le champ politique et en faire un espace d’émancipation et de transformation. Le municipalisme s’impose comme une alternative politique aux traditionnelles formes d’organisation et de pouvoir fondées sur la verticalité, la centralisation et le patriarcat. Ce guide est le fruit de la collaboration de plus de 140 maires, conseillers municipaux et militants du monde entier, tous investis dans le mouvement municipaliste mondial.
DGs CLIMA and ENER have published new Eurobarometer surveys showing strong public support for EU climate and energy policies. The surveys asked citizens from all EU Member States a variety of questions on current climate and energy policies and their wishes for future European action. Results were extremely encouraging with positive trends for citizens’ awareness of climate change, their desire for the EU and Member States to act, and willingness to take personal action to fight climate change. They also support prioritising an EU energy sector which is cleaner, more secure and more affordable
Based on a European project entitled “Community-based Virtual Power Plants’ (Interreg 2017–2010) this paper discusses opportunities for community energy projects—focusing on the example of community-based virtual power plants. Using a business model canvas as heuristic and the Dutch demonstration case as an example, we show how a business model following a community logic is unfeasible in practice. The current institutional context compels community based cVPP initiatives to partially abandon such community-based values, in order to be able to survive in the energy services market. It is concluded that more attention is needed for institutional change since the current institutional bias that hinders cVPP projects is also hindering a more inclusive energy transition.
Camden citizens’ proposals focus on housing, transport and green space Britain’s first climate assembly has agreed on 17 proposals for action to tackle the climate crisis, including installing solar panels on all available roofs and cutting fossil fuels out of local government developments.
This policy paper by the Jacques Delors Institute, aims at drawing lessons from the French movement of the Yellow Vests for EU climate policy. It argues that Yellow Vests were not against the carbon price or climate action per se, they were against socially-unfair climate policy. The overall legitimacy and efficiency of the EU Green Deal would be strengthened if the polluter-pays principle is applied consistently, and if climate policies take into account people’s differentiated capabilities and responsibilities in the face of the climate crisis. The just transition is a narrow path that jointly addresses the climate and social emergencies and calls for renewed governance to better take into account daily realities of all citizens. If an EU carbon price on heating and road transport is eventually charged on EU citizens, mitigating risks of social backlash would require the adoption of : socially-fair price signals (e.g. remove exemptions for businesses, industry or aviation), more ambitious regulations (high Minimum Energy Performance Standards for existing buildings and CO2 standards for cars), adequate financing and technical assistance (sufficiently funded and frontloaded Social Climate Fund), and a more inclusive governance (mandate and support involvement of all stakeholders in the energy transition decision-making, include strong multi-level governance in the Social Climate Fund). These recommendations hold with or without ETS2 but become all the more important if ETS2 is adopted. Beyond the need to avoid social unrest, the “Fit for 55” climate package is above all a unique opportunity to implement a socially-just transition that would alleviate existing carbon inequalities, hence strengthening the EU social cohesion and future resilience.
Tribune. Par l’adoption d’un arrêté censé doper les installations de production d’énergie photovoltaïque, la France vient de porter le coup de grâce aux centaines d’initiatives collectives de production d’énergie solaire, portées par des groupes d’habitants et de collectivités. Cet arrêté transcrit de façon restrictive une disposition européenne et interdit le cumul des aides de l’Etat (le tarif garanti d’achat de l’électricité), d’une part, et des collectivités locales, d’autre part (souvent des subventions régionales).
Pourtant, la combinaison des subventions locales et du tarif d’achat est vitale pour les projets solaires citoyens, installation sur de petites toitures de bâtiments publics impliquant des normes de sécurité (écoles, gymnases, etc.) supplémentaires. Ces aides complémentaires sont d’autant plus indispensables dans la moitié nord de la France et les territoires de montagne : l’équilibre économique des projets y est plus difficile à atteindre du fait du moindre ensoleillement, ce qui pénalise les collectivités souhaitant contribuer directement à une transition énergétique locale, mobilisatrice et durable.
C’est l’un des enseignements d’une étude d’impact « complémentaire », portant sur l’action climatique de l’exécutif depuis le début du quinquennat, commandée au Boston Consulting Group. Publiée le 10 février, elle conclut qu’aller au-delà de l’objectif de – 40 % d’émissions, comme cela est discuté au niveau européen, nécessite un « changement de paradigme ».
This is the Municipalist Manifesto for building energy democracy and energy sovereignty locally, presented to you by the Catalan Network for Energy Sovereignty (Xse) and the Transnational Institute. The Municipalist Manifesto aims to be a tool that can be used as a guide by (municipalist) citizens platform, municipal councils and opposition parties, organisations and collectives, and any person who wishes to take action.
Au printemps 2019, l’Union européenne finalisait le nouveau cadre légal de sa politique énergétique. L’une des grandes nouveautés de cette réforme est l’introduction d’un nouvel acteur sur le marché de l’énergie : « Les communautés d’énergie ». Celui-ci peut exercer quasiment toutes les activités possibles : production, vente, partage d’électricité, flexibilité, services d’efficacité énergétique, … Ce webinaire organisé par l'APERe se veut une opportunité pour les futurs membres des communautés d’énergie, de les informer sur ce que ce sont ces communautés, ce qu'elles peuvent y réaliser et les bénéfices pour leurs membres.
Technology gives us an opportunity to make cities more open, inclusive and democratic. But only if it's used in the right way, says Barcelona's chief technology officer, Francesca Bria
Réunissant plusieurs professionnels du secteur et baptisé « Énergies renouvelables pour tous », il a présenté le 3 mars plusieurs propositions « pour un développement réel de l’autoconsommation collective ». La « petite » loi énergie (art. 39) prévoit une ordonnance pour appliquer en France la directive de 2018 sur les énergies renouvelables, dont un volet vise à lever les freins à l’autoconsommation.
In this episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell speaks with Liz Veazey, Network Director of We Own It, and Chris Woolery, Residential Energy Coordinator at the MACED. The three discuss a new Rural Electric Co-op Toolkit and how it will help members democratize their co-ops.… Read More
Commitment to UN SDG seven “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” is essential for global peace and prosperity
Inscrite dans la loi française depuis juillet 2016, l’autoconsommation est un phénomène qui prend de l’ampleur, à la faveur de la baisse du prix des énergies renouvelables, notamment photovoltaïque (PV) et de l’engouement croissant des consommateurs pour des sources d’énergies renouvelables (ENR) et locales. En seulement 3 ans d’existence officielle, le nombre d’autoconsommateurs a plus que doublé en France, atteignant 45 000 au 1er semestre 2019, et représentent aujourd’hui plus de 90% des demandes de raccordement résidentiel auprès d’Enedis. Ailleurs en Europe, une dynamique similaire est observée, avec des niveaux de maturité différents selon les pays, et jusqu’à 500 000 autoconsommateurs en Allemagne.
“We are finally [at the point of a] breakthrough,” said Zoran Kordić, manager of Croatia’s Green Energy Cooperative. “Renewable energy will happen — there is no question about it — and now is finally the right moment to [put] it in the hands of the citizens and not big corporations.”
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