Boosting energy communities in Sweden
7 June 2023
Online
On 7 June, the webinar (co-organised by UIPI, Fastighetsägarna, Villaägarna, and EU-funded project NRG2Peers) ‘Boosting Energy Communities in Sweden’ took place. The webinar delved into the concept of Energy Communities, with a particular emphasis on the case of Sweden, where the EU legal framework has yet to be transposed.
To support the Energy Transition in Europe, Energy Communities can be a way to empower citizens, small businesses, and local authorities to produce, manage and consume their own energy. They can contribute to lowering the energy bills of citizens, making Europe’s energy market more resilient and providing economic benefits to local areas.
The European framework for Energy Communities has previously been outlined in two Directives: the Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001/EU) (RED II) and the Electricity Directive (2019/944/EU) (ED). While most Member States have either wholly or partly transposed these Directives, Sweden remains one of the only Member States that lacks a proposal to transpose these Directives into national law. The Swedish Energy Regulator has proposed recommendations on transposing the law, entailing definitions of Renewable Energy Communities (REC) and Citizen Energy Communities (CEC).
However, the Swedish Government does not have any special policies or measures so far to promote energy communities or include them in renewables support schemes.
This webinar brought together various experts to discuss how to boost energy communities in Sweden. Two representatives from the European Parliament and the European Commission highlighted the benefits of incentivizing the creation of Energy Communities.
Following this, speakers from Sweden and the Netherlands highlighted best practices within their respective Communities. Finally, stakeholders underlined the barriers to Energy Communities in Sweden as being highly problematic due to a lack of state support and comprehensive regulatory and legal framework.
Ultimately, the Webinar garnered a lot of attention from predominately Swedish participants, highlighting the demand and interest in Energy Communities.
Watch the recording here:
How are Energy Communities defined in EU energy policy?
on the framework of Energy Communities on EU level.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 890345.
