35 Years of Impact: FEDARENE’s Community Driving Europe’s Energy Transition

On the 14th and 15th of May 2025, the FEDARENE community came together in Brussels to celebrate a major milestone: 35 years of empowering local and regional actors in the European energy transition. The anniversary was more than a celebration of history, it was a collective reaffirmation of the network’s core identity: a community of people first and foremost, working on the ground to build a more sustainable, resilient, and just Europe.

From the beginning, FEDARENE has stood for the power of people as changemakers. A network of energy agency teams, regional policymakers, technical experts, and innovators. This anniversary brought that identity to life.

The celebration began on the evening of 14 May, with the full FEDARENE community coming together. Former, current, and new members, partners, and friends gathered to mark this important anniversary. It was an emotional and symbolic moment, filled with stories, reconnections, and a strong sense of shared mission. As our members gathered, we saw clearly that our greatest strength lies not in infrastructure or strategy, but in solidarity, trust, and long-standing human relationships.

On 15 May, FEDARENE held its General Assembly, where the network’s strategic direction was both discussed and embodied through the election of a new Board of Directors. Each Vice-President will lead a thematic area, ranging from climate neutrality and energy sufficiency to financing, circular economy, digitalisation, industrial decarbonisation, and more. The new leadership structure reflects a deepened commitment to action and reinforces FEDARENE’s role as a frontrunner in energy policy, strategically aligned with European priorities.

As FEDARENE turns 35, the network is entering a new cycle of advocacy, aiming to strengthen its relationships with EU institutions, expand cooperation across priority energy transition domains, and remain a trusted interlocutor on the path to climate neutrality.

“Energy, and particularly sustainable energy, is no longer just a matter of climate policy. Renewable energy is now recognised as essential to Europe’s security, independence, and competitive future. FEDARENE has a unique role to play in this new reality, and our new Board is set to seize the moment.” – FEDARENE President Julije Domac, re-elected by the General Assembly.

The General Assembly culminated in the Roger Léron Award Gala, held on the evening of 15 May. It was a celebration of the exceptional people and projects shaping Europe’s sustainable future at the local and regional levels. This year’s laureates are what can only be described as the 2025 millésime: a standout vintage of dedication, vision, and hands-on impact.

“This year’s winner of the ‘Innovative Action Award’, CEL RURAL, brilliantly illustrates the impact of decentralized and replicable projects for an inclusive, sustainable, and locally rooted energy transition. This project reflects the dynamism and innovation emerging in our regions, a potential that must be supported. Our regions play a central role in supporting local economic actors through coordinated action and a deep understanding of territorial dynamics. Such initiatives would not have come to life without the essential support of European funding under the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Ensuring the full involvement of local and regional actors in the next programming period is therefore more of a priority than ever.” – Thomas Pellerin Carlin, Member of the European Parliament.

The Awards are rooted in the same philosophy as FEDARENE’s 35th anniversary: recognising the individuals behind successful policies and projects. With winners from across Europe selected by a jury composed of eminent technical and political experts, this year’s edition reaffirmed the Roger Léron Award as a true mark of quality and expertise in the fields of energy and climate.

“For three and a half decades, FEDARENE and its members have been a pioneering force in the field of sustainable energy. For just as long, FEDARENE has fostered a community of like-minded professionals and organisations across Europe. For nearly all of this time, you have also been a solid and reliable partner to the European Commission – to DG ENER, but also to many other Commission services and to CINEA. Throughout these years, FEDARENE has repeatedly demonstrated its unique value in bridging the gap between European policy and local policymaking – between policy and practice. Your actions – your initiatives, your innovation, your legwork – are critical in this area. That is why we are so proud to have you as partners in implementing our shared policies.” – Hans Rhein, Head of Unit, LIFE Programme on Clean Energy and Climate, CINEA.