ENERGY COMMUNITIES IN THE CLEAN ENERGY PACKAGE: REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR COLLECTIVELY INVOLVING CITIZENS IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION

摘要

European citizens, their associations, cooperatives, local authorities, SMEs and local energy clusters become more and more visible in the European energy landscape. This development stems from an important technological change - the deployment of smaller and more affordable generation units, especially from renewable sources, as well as from growing awareness among citizens about the opportunities offered by sustainable, local and green electricity generation. European citizens' initiatives are diverse with regard to their membership structure, size, scope of activities, geographical distribution and level of acknowledgment in political and legal terms. Such initiatives have already delivered economic, social and environmental value to the communities where they operate, that go beyond the mere benefits derived from the provision of energy services. Last, but not least, consumers' ownership of renewable generation assets helps overcome one of the important barriers to construction of renewable generation units, particularly wind farms - the issue of public acceptance.