Conference: More energy communities for less EU fossil dependency: what needs to change in policy, markets and local implementation?

In the context of growing geopolitical pressure, energy communities are increasingly recognised as a key instrument for decentralised renewable energy, citizen participation, local resilience and a fairer energy transition.  

This session will explore bottlenecks encumbering energy communities in practice and propose technical and social solutions based on local implementation experiences. We will examine the implementation gap between policy ambition and the conditions needed to scale energy communities, drawing on practical insights from the ENPOWER and ECHO projects, showing how digital tools, social engagement strategies and local implementation experience can inform policy frameworks for energy communities. The Fast and Fair Renewables and Grids Initiative and the EU Covenant of Mayors Homegrown Energy campaign will also illustrate the importance of locally driven energy projects for greater affordability, resilience and citizen participation.