Lithuania

Specific allocation for energy communities

The Lithuanian Recovery and Resilience Fund mentions explicitly legal entities such as farmers and energy communities as potential beneficiaries who can enact solar and wind energy projects (67 million and 90million respectively). The Fund also prioritises self-consumption projects, but equally providing the (voluntary) opportunity to project developers to sell electricity to the grid of up to 50% of total production.

Moreover, the Recovery and Resilience Plan mentions that funding tenders will provide bonus scoring to energy communities, among eligible entities.

Definition of energy communities in line with EU legislation

The Lithuanian Recovery and Resilience Fund defines energy communities as per the relevant Law, which in turn states that at least three members of a renewable energy community should be natural persons with the right to vote at the general meeting of shareholders and also that at least 51 per cent of the votes at the general meeting of shareholders should belong to shareholders who are natural persons whose place of residence has been declared in the municipality where the construction or installation of the energy production facility is planned or in other municipal elderships bordering this municipality. These requirements create coherency with the relevant EU definitions of energy communities.

Proportionality of share of total fund allocated to energy communities

The total investments allocated to prosumers and energy communities under the Lithuanian Recovery and Resilience Fund, are deemed sufficient.

Availability of tailored financing tools

Support by the Lithuanian Recovery and Resilience Fund will be provided through subsidies (grants) for energy communities that address energy poverty. Moreover, 60 million euros will be provided in subsidised loans for Municipalities to promote energy communities.

Link between energy communities, building renovation and energy efficiency

This information is not available yet.

Recognition of energy communities under multiple objectives

Energy communities are recognised as a vehicle to promote renewable energy, achieve energy self-sufficiency, and tackle energy poverty. Support towards energy communities forms part of a broader strategy: Lithuania aims to have one in three consumers generating their own electricity by 2030.

Holistic strategy to provide financing across different levels of project development

Under the Lithuanian Recovery and Resilience Fund, multiple forms of support are provided to energy communities. 2 GWp of additional production potential has been set aside for prosumers and RECs. As such, the government aims to develop measures around financial assistance to ensure that energy communities are able to develop this production capacity. In parallel, One Stop Shops are currently being set up, as part of a broader strategy of capacity building and information sharing.

Transparency of the design and communication of the schemes and measures

The design and communication of the scheme is not fully transparent. Only some civil society actors have been involved.

Selection criteria and the prioritisation of various social components

This information is not available yet.

Decentralised tender process

This information is not available yet.

Existence of procedures to facilitate the participation of energy communities in open calls

Procedures that are similar to the ones provided to prosumers have been developed. Assistance will be provided to energy communities - amongst other measures - through dedicated One Stop Shops.

Stability and predictability of the programme through time

This information is still unfolding, therefore it is too early to assess.

Inclusion of energy communities in national REPowerEU chapter

This information is not available as of yet.