Europeanisation of energy policy and area-based partnerships: Regional diversity of interest in renewable energy sources in local development strategies in Poland

Abstract

Cross-sectoral partnerships, known as Local Action Groups (LAGs), are a key pillar of the European Union’s Community-Led Local Development approach in member states. LAGs prepare bottom-up territorial strategies, having a relatively high degree of freedom to set their own development goals and the scope of the activities for which they receive EU funding. In this sense, there is clear potential for LAGs to implement local scale initiatives around renewable energies (RE). To understand the scope and extent of such bottom-up initiatives in Poland, we analyse the regional diversity of operations in RE in the local development strategies of 324 LAGs prepared for the EU Programming Period 2014–2020. Specifically, we analysed whether local communities planned to undertake educational actions or investments related to RE in their strategies. Content analysis shows a relatively low interest in this subject by the communities analysed at the time their strategies were prepared. Across the country, educational activities related to RE were planned in 13% of strategies and investments related to RE in only 9% of them. Possible reasons for the generally low local interest in RE may relate to the levels of education and income of local communities. However, the regional disparities could be the result of the individual policy of regional authorities. We discuss the possible causes of this apparent lack of interest in RE among local communities in the context of EU-wide efforts for a low-carbon economy. Alternative policy instruments, or more precise targeting of rural development funding to sustainable energy may be needed to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy sources in Poland.