EU energy communities policy tracker

The majority of OPs mention energy communities as separate targets, but the funding allocation falls within a broader budget for energy efficiency, RES penetration and energy poverty.

On the 27/09/2023 a call was launched under the Just Transition Operational Program, which earmarks € 41.795.000 for Municipal energy communities to create solar collective self consumption projects, and provide free/cheap electricity to energy poor households to tackle energy poverty. All stages of project development are eligible for finance up to 80% of total costs, and projects have to be at least 0.3MWp in minimum capacity.

The -few- public funding calls that have been published have not explicitly included social criteria, or took particular steps to ensure citizen inclusion and prevent corporate capture. 

The 27/09/2023 call launched under the Just Transition Operational Program envisions only non-repayable grants covering 80% of project development costs. 

Additional tools, such as loans, or guarantees are not currently foreseen in any public funding program. 

The Operational Programme Just Development Transition (Priority 2: Energy transition - climate neutrality) includes actions on energy efficiency, clean energy and smart energy for which energy communities in lignite regions are among the target groups. Also individuals and households can benefit from these funds. Therefore, the OP recognises the potential of both energy communities and citizens in the field of renovation.

In practice, there hasn’t been any public financing program that has supported activities other than energy production/self-consumption. 

The 27/09/2023 call launched under the Just Transition Operational Program envisions only grants for the procurement of equipment. 

The design and communication of the Greek Operational Programmes has been largely untransparent. Managing Authorities are not responsive or willing to discuss with the national community energy movement on activating potential funding calls. 

This is despite multiple attempts by the national federation of energy communities, Desmi, to support in the activation of specific funding calls, stemming from the existing Operational Program budget lines. 

The selection criteria of the Just Transition Operational Program published on 27/09/2023 are largely focusing on technical and economical elements of the project, with a reference to 'contribution to local development and the creation of local jobs'. Therefore, the social element is not strongly pronounced. It should be noted however, that the call itself is addressed to tackling energy poverty, by supporting energy poor households.

There are no relevant procedures in place (e.g., capacity building workshops/ working with network and intermediary organisations) to facilitate the participation of energy communities in accessing available public funds.