Since the introduction of the EU Clean Energy Package in 2019, citizens have been granted the right to actively participate in the energy transition. This policy framework has led to extraordinary growth in energy communities across EU member states. These communities are designed to be democratic, multi-stakeholder initiatives that involve citizens, municipalities, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The core principle is that effective control and autonomy must remain with the citizens, ensuring they have a decisive voice in how these initiatives are governed. However, as energy communities gain momentum, there has been a worrying trend of corporate capture. Corporate capture occurs when large companies, often with significant political influence, take control of decision-making processes within energy communities. This can lead to the displacement of the original members and prosumers—the very people who these communities were intended to benefit. During Enlit Europe 2023, EU Energy Projects Podcast host Areti Ntaradimou spoke to Chris Vrettos from REScoop to find out more about the phenomenon.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related