#EUSEW: Repowering Europe by empowering energy communities: a perspective on digital and social innovation

Achieving the objectives of REPowerEU as an answer to the current high energy prices and geopolitical context will require both technological and digital solutions, and a step-change in the way we approach social innovation. The EU’s energy community definitions provide a strong entry point to leveraging both approaches to make the EU more resilient in the future. Moreover, the EU Green Deal is pivotal from an energy community and prosumer perspective. Digitalisation may foster a host of innovative actions and business models. At the same time, energy communities can contribute to a just energy transition by empowering citizens to take ownership of energy project implementation, operation and allocation of benefits.

The session will highlight how local renewable energy ownership can contribute to the EU’s access to affordable energy, and identify existing means and gaps for digital tools that can help energy communities deliver system and community benefits. The session will also address the question of how young people can engage in energy communities. Today’s youth will be faced with unprecedented challenges, but they also bring new perspectives and ways of working to the table. Energy communities can be a forum for engaging in the energy transition early on. Our speakers will be practitioners and experts, able to translate complex policy issues into the everyday language of the audience. 

The main target audiences of this session will be private companies, energy communities, public authorities at EU, national and local level, as well as citizens, including youth. The session will start with an introduction to the policy context by Directorate-General for Energy and a general outline of what energy communities can contribute to the EU’s priorities and objectives, in particular how to leverage community energy as a response to the high energy prices. It will thereafter feature two inspirational speakers. One to present concrete examples of energy communities implementing or expressing a need for digital tools. The second to illustrate the social innovation potential of energy communities.

Moderator

• Achille Hannoset, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission

Speakers

• Myriam Castanié, Coordinator,  Energy Communities Repository
• Natalie Samovich, Co-founder and Managing Director, Enercoutim
• Leonardo Meeus, Professor, European University Institute (EUI)
• Jacopo Sala, PhD Candidate, IMEC

Download the full programme of the Policy Conference in pdf.