Date: 9 October
In an era that is marked by energy crises and unprecedented climate and geopolitical challenges, energy communities emerge as a powerful chance for resilience and energy independence. This webinar delved into the critical role of energy communities during times of energy crisis. Speakers present at the webinar – an expert in European climate policy and energy democracy, an Energy Communities campaigner working with European federation of citizens energy cooperatives and an expert in climate policies and energy transition.
Topics covered:
- Understanding the Energy Crisis: Participants gained insights into the various factors that contributed to the energy crisis of that time, including geopolitical tensions, resource scarcity, and challenges related to fossil fuels, such as volatile energy prices and rising energy poverty.
- What is an Energy Community?: Participants learned about the types of energy communities and the economic, social, and environmental benefits they bring.
- Energy Communities in Bulgaria: The discussion covered the existence of such communities, who can participate in them, and the challenges and opportunities ahead
- Polish Energy Cooperatives: The current situation and prospects of Polish energy cooperatives were explored.
The webinar also explored the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED I & RED II) related to the possibility for people to produce their own energy and the EU public financing available for energy cooperatives.
During the Q&A session the legal requirements to start an energy community in Bulgaria and the obstacles faced and lessons learned in Poland were discussed, with the conclusion that energy communities have huge potential once made accessible for the public to join.
This webinar had 64 attendees coming from 7 EU countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Belgium).
Recording (in Bulgarian and English)
