Building Resilient Energy Communities in Rural and Island Areas
About the Event
Discover how renewable energy communities are driving the energy transition in rural areas and islands!
Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are citizen‑led legal entities—such as associations, cooperatives or small enterprises—that produce, manage and consume electricity from local renewable sources. By enabling citizens, municipalities, SMEs and other local actors to jointly own and benefit from energy infrastructure, RECs play a key role in accelerating the energy transition while strengthening local economies.
In rural areas and islands, renewable energy communities are particularly effective. Cooperation between citizens and local authorities is often easier than in urban contexts, and a single community can sometimes cover an entire village or island. Through local ownership, RECs help reduce dependence on external energy suppliers, stabilise energy costs, create local jobs and reinvest revenues into community projects.
This webinar will showcase concrete best‑practice examples of renewable energy community models implemented in rural areas and islands across Europe, highlighting governance models, technical solutions, policy frameworks and lessons learned.
Register below!
Agenda
Welcome participants and introduction – Francisco Puente, Escan | 10:30
Keynote speech – Simona Suardi, Policy Adviser on Energy, Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament | 10:35
Citizen-Led Heat Transitions: Approaches to Village-Scale District Heating – Examples from Oberland Region, Germany – Christiane Regauer, EWO | 10:50
Development of a solar farm led by community partners to support local renewable energy generation in Claremorris, Ireland – Gregg Allen, Community Power | 11:05
Exchange of locally produced renewable electricity based on PV and micro hydropower generation within the Enzenkirchen REC, a small municipality in Upper Austria – Christiane Egger, ESV | 11:20
Real‑world examples of REC implementation on the small islands of Procida and Ponza, Italy – Valerio Paolini, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche | 11:35
Exploring the current policy framework, key projects, and opportunities for RECs – Loïc Cobut, FEDARENE | 11:50
Q&A and conclusions | 12:00
This webinar is organised in the framework of the LIFE POWER-E-COM project, with the support of the LIFE ISLET project, both co-funded by the European Union.