The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has approved a new injection of 10,7 millones de euros to promote the creation of 106 energy communities throughout the country, within the CE Implementa program funded with NextGenEU of the PRTR and managed by IDAE. With this fifth call for proposals, the cumulative total amounts to 251 projects supported and more than 124 million awarded to promote citizen participation in the energy system.
The call for proposals, focused on small-scale projects, opens the door for communities to promote several proposals and sets an implementation deadline of 14 months from the notificationIn the territorial distribution, it stands out Catalonia, which accounts for 42 initiatives and 31,55% of the aid (3,39 million), followed by Andalusia, Castile and León and Aragon, also with a presence in Castilla-La Mancha, Valencian Community, Madrid, Basque Country, Galicia, Extremadura, Murcia, Navarre and AsturiasAll beneficiaries are cooperatives and associationswith 18.674 members involved, and 55 of the communities will operate in municipalities of Demographic Challenge.
CE Implements: what it finances and who it reaches
This fifth edition prioritizes local-scale actions that do not exceed 1 million euro investment per project, which has allowed to articulate 371 pilot initiatives (more than three per community). The vast majority, 279They integrate renewable electricity generation with solar photovoltaics and storage, complemented by 44 sustainable mobility proposals and 38 demand management proposals.
Renewable heat solutions are also being considered 10 thermal installations -mostly aerothermal energy and biomass—. Taken together, the projects add 20.822 kW of photovoltaic power y 1.216 kW thermal, incorporate 18.272 kWh of storage and deploy 62 charging points for electric vehicles, in addition to four electric bicycle loan schemes and five vehicle acquisition initiatives.
Citizen participation and support network
Social involvement in the energy transition is a priority of NECP, and the aid package for energy communities is reinforced with the Community Transformation Offices (OTC) as information and support points. Both lines —CE Implementa and OTC— are integrated into the Component 7 of the PRTR and, in recent calls for proposals, they align with investment on self-consumption, storage and energy communities of the REPowerEU chapter (Component 31).
With this approach, the Administration intends democratize the energy systemanchoring renewable energy deployment to the territory and accelerating the decarbonization, placing citizens at the center of decision-making and the distribution of benefits.
Regional agenda: Andalusia and Álava activate the ecosystem
In Andalusia, a meeting is scheduled for October 29th. Energy Communities Working Group from the Self-Consumption Roundtable at the headquarters of the Andalusian Energy Agency. On the table, the roadmap for collective self-consumption and the presentation of the new incentive programs INEA and INCEA financed with ERDF Funds, in coordination with the processing, training, communication, municipalities and REDEJA groups.
For its part, Álava will celebrate the first on November 10 and 11 Congress of Energy Communities in Vitoria-Gasteiz, with sessions on electrification, storage and flexibilityDialogue between OTCs of the Basque Country and Navarre and a sample of local success storiesThe agenda includes a financing block—municipal subsidies, provincial support, through crowdfundingethical banking and crowdfunding—and a social focus in energy poverty and inclusionculminating in a workshop to outline a shared roadmap.
Regulatory updates in Catalonia
The Government has approved a decree law to do more competitive, sustainable and safe the Catalan electricity system, with measures that affect renewables, grids, storage and energy communitiesThe standard creates a specific record of these entities, regulates the participation of local authorities and strengthens the public participation through dialogue tables, in addition to modulating the deployment in the territory —for example, by limiting installations on irrigated land or allowing lines close to the road network—.
Likewise, the processing of batteries y solar pergolasIts urban and energy integration is clarified, and progress is made in administrative simplification: transmission of authorizations for projects not yet commissioned, a 500 kW threshold for requiring authorization in wind or photovoltaic energy, and streamlining of improvements and network upgradeThis framework provides greater legal certainty for developers, municipalities and citizens and accelerates the deployment of local solutions.
What is an energy community and why does it matter?
An energy community allows people and entities produce, consume, store, share and sell renewable energy collectively, prioritizing environmental, social, and economic benefits for the community over strict financial profitability. Its design promotes local employment, economic activity and emissions reduction.
In addition to making progress in the fight against climate change and energy povertyThese initiatives are especially valuable in municipalities of demographic challengewhere knowledge of the territory facilitates projects tailored to real needs and contributes to set population and to revitalize community life.
The new state, regional and local impetus—with specific funding, support tools and clearer regulatory frameworks— It places energy communities at an interesting point of maturity: there are resources, rules, and a active public agenda so that more neighborhoods, towns and cooperatives take the step and transform the shared energy in everyday reality.
