An opportunity to create a space for energy communities

Energy communities (i.e. renewable energy communities, or REScoops) have the potential to place citizens in the driver seat of Europe’s energy transition while also providing benefits to the energy system, the environment and society. The new market design, however, must provide a strong legal basis for providing energy communities with an equal playing field to access and participate across the electricity market.

The Compromise Amendments provide some positive building blocks for empowering energy communities. However, there is a need for additional provisions to protect consumers that want to join energy communities, to ensure that an equal playing field is enforced, and to adequately acknowledge the opportunities for energy communities to strengthen local energy systems.

In its upcoming vote on the Electricity Directive and the Electricity Regulation, the ITRE Committee has a unique opportunity to strengthen its support for the positive role that citizens and communities can play across the energy sector. We therefore urge MEPs to follow the below voting recommendations.