Exploring Institutional and Socio-Economic Settings for the Development of Energy Communities in Europe

Alessandro Sciullo, Gregory Winston Gilcrease, Mario Perugini, Dario Padovan, Barbara Curli, Jay Sterling Gregg, Osman Arrobbio, Erika Meynaerts, Sarah Delvaux, Lucia Polo-Alvarez, Chiara Candelise, Esther van der Waal, Henny van der Windt, Wit Hubert, Nele Ivask and Marek Muiste
Additional contact information
Alessandro Sciullo: Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Gregory Winston Gilcrease: Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Mario Perugini: Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Dario Padovan: Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Barbara Curli: Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy
Jay Sterling Gregg: Department of Technology, Management and Economics, Technology Transitions and System Innovation Division, UNEP-DTU Partnership, UN City, Marmorvej 51, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Osman Arrobbio: Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Erika Meynaerts: VITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Sarah Delvaux: VITO, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium
Lucia Polo-Alvarez: TECNALIA-Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia, Astondo Bidea, Edificio 700, 48160 Derio, Spain
Chiara Candelise: GREEN Research Centre, Bocconi University, Via Röntgen 1, 20136 Milan, Italy
Esther van der Waal: IREES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Henny van der Windt: IREES, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 6, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Wit Hubert: Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University, 30-962 Krakow, Poland
Nele Ivask: Tartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA), 51009 Tartu, Estonia
Marek Muiste: Tartu Regional Energy Agency (TREA), 51009 Tartu, Estonia

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: Energy communities (ECs), intended as collective action initiatives in the energy field involving citizens’ participation, have been gaining relevance for the past decades as an alternative way to organize the energy chain to challenge the incumbent system. With Europe’s recently adopted Clean Energy Package, ECs found a formal recognition by the European Union as potential actors of the transition of the energy system towards a wider and more decentralized use of renewable sources. Although the potential role of ECs in the transition is therefore hardly questionable, a thorough comprehension of the enabling factors that might foster their diffusion and scaling up is still lacking. Through a comparative analysis of the evolutionary trajectories in six EU countries regarding their energy systems, their regulatory frameworks and their historical evolution of ECs, namely through the example of cooperative models, this paper aims at providing some preliminary evidence about the factors and dynamics that seem to have played, and may play, a role in hampering or facilitating EC model diffusion. Attention is therefore specifically paid to three dimensions of analysis referring to: the energy mix and market structure; the institutional and policy landscape; the wider social attitudes towards environmental issues and cooperation among citizens. In addition to providing a wide comparison of different EU countries, the paper shows that the historical evolution pathways have to be carefully taken into account to understand what might trigger ECs exploitation in the EU.

Keywords: energy communities; renewable energy sources; regulatory framework; energy systems; comparative analysis; energy transition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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