EurActiv: Community energy deserves Europe-wide support

European citizens are increasingly taking control of their energy supply, introducing secure, renewable sources, through community initiatives, writes Susann Scherbarth. At a time of precarious energy security, community energy needs to be explicitly recognised as part of the EU 2030 framework, which will be discussed by EU leaders next week.

The citizens' movement of community-owned wind turbines, sustainable biomass plants, small hydro-electric schemes and roof-top solar panels, is providing secure, renewable energy at a time when the European Union is facing precarious energy dependency and the threat of climate change.

From Denmark to Portugal, Scotland and Italy, there are thousands of community energy initiatives producing and supplying energy – in Germany alone 1.5 million citizens generate electricity on their roofs.

Yet as European leaders hammer out a 2030 climate and energy action plan next week there is no dedicated European legal framework for community energy. Instead we have piecemeal support for this burgeoning sector.
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