To help you find relevant resources, we encourage you to explore the websites of existing EU projects and initiatives.
European Commission Initiatives
The Covenant of Mayors is the world's largest movement for local climate and energy actions. Below you will find more information on the initiative; its gradual development, the objectives, and the current achievements in figures.
The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat, an initiative of the European Commission, is the central platform for the clean energy transition of the more than 2,200 inhabited European islands.
The Energy Poverty Advisory Hub aims to become the central platform of energy poverty expertise in Europe for local authorities and all stakeholders interested in taking action to combat energy poverty in Europe.
The Rural Energy Community Advisory Hub is an initiative by the European Commission that will map rural energy communities across Europe and provide technical assistance to such initiatives and projects. The Advisory Hub and the Repository will work closely together to provide the best possible support to energy communities.
The Smart Cities Marketplace offers services and events for both cities and investors on creating and finding bankable smart city proposals via free technical assistance, 1-to-1-consultancy services for city-led consortia close to the financing stage, financing masterclasses and matchmaking.
Financing facilities
The EUCF supports support municipalities, local authorities, their groupings and local public entities aggregating municipalities/local authorities in Europe with tailor-made, fast and simplified financial support for the energy transition (in the form of EUR 60,000 lump sums).
The NESOI European Islands Facility’s goal is to unlock the potential of EU islands to become the locomotives of European Energy Transition by mobilising more than 100 M€ of investment in sustainable energy projects.
EU projects
BECoop provides the necessary conditions and tools for unlocking the potential of community bioenergy, fostering new links and partnerships.
CEES will deliver a toolkit of proven approaches by which community projects lift people out of energy poverty.
COME RES aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity sector. The project focusses on advancing renewable energy communities in nine European countries.
The main aim of COMPILE is to show the opportunities of energy islands for decarbonisation of energy supply, community building and creating environmental and socioeconomic benefits.
The DECIDE project aims to gain a better understanding of how energy communities and energy efficiency services are established and managed, and test and transfer knowledge in pilot projects across Europe.
DIALOGUES aims to strengthen the role and efficacy of energy citizenship as a contributor to the strategic priorities of the sustainable energy transition.
Gathering insights from the fields of law, economics and psychology, EC² will provide answers on how to facilitate and strengthen energy citizenship.
eCREW coordinates and supports the roll-out of an innovative scheme of household cooperation in energy management, in which households jointly exploit household-level electricity generation and battery storage capacities and optimize energy efficiency and expenditures.
LIFE-LETsGO4Climate aims to accelarate the production of renewable energy and reduce collective and individual energy consumption by creating citizen collectives which promote the production of renewable energy in the French region of Centre-Val-de-Loire.
LIFE LOOP is building capacity, developing tools and resources to enable new community energy projects and partnerships between municipalities and citizens.
Tools being developed include a resource-matching making database, to enable land and roof owners to list their assets and explore opportunities with community energy groups. A community energy friendly training programme and badge are also being developed.
mPOWER aims to enable an in-depth, wide-scale, and systematic peer-to-peer learning programme among at least 100 local public authorities, in order to replicate innovative best practices in municipal energy, and developing ambitious energy transition plans.
NRG2peers supports the uptake of a next generation of European peer-to-peer, peer-to-community and peer-to-market Energy Communities.
The POWER UP project will promote the emergence of local energy market players with a socio-ecological agenda.
POWERPOOR aims to develop support programmes / schemes for energy poor citizens and encourage the use of alternative financing schemes e.g. establishing energy communities / cooperatives, crowd funding).
REScoopVPP aims to set up a community-driven virtual power plant that can provide flexibility services and contribute to a 100% share of renewable energy sources into the grid.
SCCALE203050 intends to bring Europe closer to its citizens by fostering the creation of energy communities, taking full advantage of the favorable EU legal framework on citizen energy.
SHAREs supports the set-up of new and the expansion of existing energy communities by providing One-Stop-Shops in six EU-countries, information for setting up an energy community, as well as communication strategies and materials.
The Sun4All project will test a support scheme helping vulnerable households to switch to renewable energy while reducing their energy bills. The scheme will be tested by the cities of Almada (PT), Barcelona (ES), Rome (IT) and Cœur de Savoie (FR).
UP-STAIRS accelerates the creation of energy communities and collective action by setting up One-Stop-Shops in 5 pilot regions across the EU.