Abstract
The Climate Pact and the European Green Deal constitute the main components of the European Union (EU)’s climate change policy. Energy transition, that is, transformation to a zero-carbon global energy system, is one of the main pillars of climate change mitigation policies. This transformation, coupled with the empowerment of individuals within the energy system, shifts citizens from their roles as customers towards a more active role. Within this framework, energy communities stand out as significant facilitators for the participation of individuals and communities in the energy system, promoting self-consumption and contributing to the social acceptance of renewable energy initiatives, among other direct and indirect benefits. The main directives introducing energy communities into the EU legal system are RED II and ED 2019. This study, conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project, assessed the adaptability and implementability of these two directives within national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The comparative analysis also enhances the understanding of the concept of renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities, both in the EU and in nonmember countries. The results of the analysis revealed that none of the countries studied had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning energy communities.
Highlights
Climate change is one of the main global challenges of the contemporary era
Though RED II was introduced in 2018 and ED 2019 in 2019, analysis of the legal and administrative frameworks in selected countries revealed that none had yet completed the process of harmonizing their legislation concerning renewable energy communities (RECs) and citizen energy communities (CECs)
Germany had advantages in the process of adopting the directives into national legislation, since existing legislation already allowed individuals to participate in the electricity market
Summary
Climate change is one of the main global challenges of the contemporary era. Fossil fuels are still the most commonly used energy source, accounting for around 80% of primary energy generation, and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions constitute a major factor in climate change. RECs’ and CECs’ feasibility and implementability are impacted by uncertainties in legal and administrative infrastructure, challenges with bureaucracy, technical capacity, administrative departments’ skill and information levels, the structure of the energy market, the maturity of the electricity market, and tariff schemes To this end, this manuscript presents the results of research conducted as a part of a Horizon 2020-funded eCREW project under Work Package 5 that aimed to contribute to the literature related to the status of RED II and ED 2019 in national legislation, along with the associated legal and administrative frameworks and other relevant factors, utilizing evidence from Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. It became apparent that not all countries have yet completed the rollout of smart meters This contribution provides an actual and transnational review of six national regulations for joint generation of electricity in the framework of energy communities.
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