Rural Energy communities: bridging local action and clean energy transition

The event, organised by the LIFE Project EC4Rural, aimed at advancing Europe’s clean energy transition, showcased the project’s mid-term results, shared insights, and facilitated knowledge exchange among researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders. Key topics included experiences from rural energy communities in Estonia and Spain, regional PV energy initiatives, and the role of energy communities in policy. The conference was open to representatives from rural energy communities, researchers, and local authorities.

The conference featured various sessions, including presentations on the CERCA PV energy community, Austria’s ÖkoEnergieland, and the Efiduero cross-border energy community. There was also a discussion on the policy role of energy communities. An open call for contributions invited abstracts (up to 400 words) from researchers and practitioners, with selected contributions published in an e-book. Submissions were open from 1 March to 1 June 2025, with full articles optional for authors.