A small Italian town shows how to deliver local value for fairer renewables

The northern Italian municipality of Rivoli Veronese, located in the province of Verona, is proving the might of small towns in implementing local energy transitions while supporting local economies by hosting the Wind Farm, which is owned and operated by AGSM AIM Energia (AGSM). Established in 2013, this renewable energy (RE) project is a model for community engagement practices, benefit sharing and local value generation.

In practical terms, the wind farm comprises four wind turbines, with a total capacity of 8 megawatts (MW). In 2023 alone, the farm produced 14 GWh of clean electricity, covering an area of 7.1 hectares. The power output of the facility eliminates around 7,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. 

The project development and implementation was inclusive, involving around 1000 people, as well as local entities like the NGO office of Legambiente, from the planning stages on, thus cultivating transparency and trust with stakeholders. An educational park in the vicinity of the turbines helped foster sustainable tourism and raise awareness. Cycling paths and guided tours through the wind farm also contributed to local tourism.

Socially-minded financing mechanisms complemented the outreach efforts to create added value for residents. For instance, AGSM implemented a benefit-sharing scheme, allowing residents to avail discounted electricity prices that would typically be reserved for larger consumers, thus lowering their energy costs. The scheme also included the issuance of Rivoli Bonds, which allowed the 700 families in the Rivoli Veronese area to invest in the wind farm through bonds with a 6.5% return over a seven-year period. This offered a lucrative investment opportunity to residents, and promoted trust and ownership for the project.

The wind farm has been a boon for the local economy, making residents into profit participants and distributing the monetary benefits of an infrastructure project, while also driving down costs for a more just and accessible energy system. Sustainable tourism also diversifies the local economy, while centering learning and environmental consciousness.

Rivoli Veronese has been recognised as a best practice example by the Fast & Fair Renewables & Grids initiative, which seeks to transform the rollout of renewables rooted in a consensus-driven framework for energy stakeholders, including municipalities, on how to implement renewables in a fast and fair manner, based on five principles agreed upon between developers, local governments, civil society and industry. Rivoli Veronese ties in with principles on local projects for local influence and local value, two out of the five basic principles.