Renewable Energy production and potential in EU Rural Areas

Carolina Perpiña Castillo, Clara Hormigos Feliu (), Chiara Dorati (), Georgia Kakoulaki (), Leen Peeters, Emanuele Quaranta (), Nigel Taylor (), Andreas Uihlein (), Davide Auteri () and Lewis Dijkstra
Additional contact information
Clara Hormigos Feliu: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Chiara Dorati: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Georgia Kakoulaki: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Emanuele Quaranta: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Nigel Taylor: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Andreas Uihlein: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en
Davide Auteri: European Commission - JRC, https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/index_en

No JRC135612, JRC Research Reports from Joint Research Centre

Abstract: The green energy transition and its boost to the deployment of renewable energy can offer a unique opportunity for rural areas to benefit from their natural resources. The present study aims to provide a quantitative assessment of the technical potential of renewable energy sources in the EU’s rural areas, focusing on solar, wind and hydropower. This will help to provide relevant insights into how rural areas and communities can contribute to and benefit from the EU’s green energy transition, without undermining natural areas, key biodiversity and bird areas, high-value natural arms and food production. Moreover, a comparative analysis between current renewable energy production and potential in rural areas identifies which sustainable development trajectories for the future deployment of renewables are the most suitable in each specific territory. The report shows that solar photovoltaic systems in rural areas generate 136TWh a year but have the potential to generate 60 times more (8600TWh/year). Rural areas produce 280TWh a year through onshore wind but have the potential to produce four times more (1200TWh/year). Hydropower production in rural areas yields 280TWh a year, but it could potentially be 25% higher (350TWh/year). This work also addresses the concept of energy communities, as an emerging framework intended to foster a just green transition for rural communities, where generated values and benefits can be retained locally, while also promoting democratic participation and citizen engagement.

Date: 2024-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-ene, nep-env and nep-eur
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC135612 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc135612

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in JRC Research Reports from Joint Research Centre Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Publication Officer ().