Citizens’ Energy Drives Local Economies – Current Practice and Clean Energy Package Perspective

6Dec
2017
Lunchtime Debate in Brussels
  • Klaus-Dieter Borchardt, Director for Internal Energy Market at DG Energy
  • Michał Kurtyka, Undersecretary of State, Deputy Minister, Polish Ministry of Energy

  • Andrzej Piotrowski, Undersecretary of State, Deputy Minister, Polish Ministry of Energy

Interventions by Local Energy Community Representatives:

  • Sławomir Kopeć, Zielone Podhale – Polish cluster of energy
  • Nuno Brito Jorge, Coopérnico – Portuguese energy cooperative
  • Karl-Willi Beck & Marco Krasser, town of Wunsiedel, Bavaria 

 

European citizens, their associations, cooperatives, local authorities, SMEs and local stakeholders’ clusters become more and more visible in the European energy landscape. Citizens’ energy initiatives are diverse with regards to their structure, size, scope of activities, geographical distribution and level of acknowledgment in political and legal terms across the EU. Nevertheless, all of them form part of a more global trend – an energy transition geared towards decentralized, flexible electricity generation and self-consumption.

The Commission’s proposal for the Directive on the Internal Market for Electricity foresees the adoption of an umbrella term for these citizens’ initiatives – the “local energy communities” (LECS) – as well as a set of basic provisions. How to provide such initiatives with recognition and due status in the European and national regulatory frameworks? How to ensure non-discriminatory and proportionate treatment of the LECs and their access to markets? How to facilitate compatibility between LECs and relevant elements of the existing framework?

Presentations from the Commission, the Polish Energy Ministry and successful citizens’ energy initiatives will provide our members with an opportunity to discuss in depth these issues.

We warmly invite our members to join us for a lively discussion.