CONTEXT
With its ambition and achievement of energy and climate goals, Croatia is lagging behind the leading countries of the European Union, which is confirmed by the latest revision of the European Commission's draft Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).
Energy communities, which were introduced by the European Union in 2019 with directives as part of the package of measures, play a significant role in the transition to renewable energy. “Pure energy for all’ inspired by the civic energy movement and energy cooperatives operating across Europe over the last few decades.
There is currently a gap in the transposition of the provisions of the directives in Croatia, which almost prevents the use of the potential of energy communities for the energy transition and the enjoyment of the rights of active participation in the energy market that Croatian citizens have as citizens of the European Union.
WHAT ARE ENERGY COMMUNITIES AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?
Energy communities enable citizens, entrepreneurs and the public sector to invest in renewable energy projects and play an active role in the energy market. They represent an alternative to commercial energy companies and are characterized by open and voluntary participation (membership), direct ownership of citizens, cooperation with local small and medium-sized enterprises and with local self-government units and democratic governance.
An important difference between commercial energy companies and energy communities is the commitment to socio-economic and environmental benefits for the community – these benefits are more important for the energy community than making a profit.
Energy Communities:
- enable citizens to be involved in decisions about their own energy production, use and prices, protecting them from crises;
- contribute to increasing awareness and knowledge of more efficient energy use and change the behaviour and lifestyles of their members towards more sustainable ones;
- contribute to the diversification of energy sources and the uptake of renewable sources in local communities;
- work with social services to address energy poverty;
- create local green jobs and contribute to long-term energy savings;
- can bring two to eight times higher returns to the local economy than projects by external investors (research in France i Germany);
- play an important role in fostering a stronger, healthier, more resilient and energy self-sufficient society;
- can contribute to the financing of the energy transition – their capacity by 2030 is up to 240 billions euro.
STATE IN CROATIA
Although introduced into the Croatian legal framework by the Electricity Market Act and the Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration Act, energy communities are very difficult to come to life in practice. The process of establishing energy communities is complicated, and the imposed registration obligations represent insurmountable obstacles for groups of citizens who do not have the support of professional institutions and financial resources.
From 2021, when energy communities were introduced into the Croatian legal framework, until spring 2024, only one citizens’ initiative managed to obtain a license to operate, with the support of several experts and the cost of significant financial and human resources.
PRIORITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY COMMUNITIES AND CIVIL ENERGY IN CROATIA
The energy transition can only succeed in the cooperation of all actors, and citizens must be at its center, so all candidates participating in the elections for the Croatian Parliament and the European Parliament elections in 2024 are invited to commit to these four priorities so that energy communities and civic energy can quickly and effectively come to life in practice in Croatia.
- Make the process of registering energy communities simple and affordable for groups of citizens who are not (energy) experts and establish a support system in this process.
- Provide financial support to energy communities from available funds with the application of state aid rules in order to mitigate the riskiness of energy community projects and encourage their development and stable growth.
- Ensure that energy communities can easily reduce the electricity bill of their members by producing energy, share energy directly with members and conclude power purchase agreements directly with other market actors.
- Make cities and municipalities at the forefront of civic energy development by ensuring the involvement of citizens and energy communities in renewable energy projects in public areas and rooftops.
ENERGY TRANSMISSION MUST BE FAIR AND USEFUL FOR ALL CITIZENS
The energy transition implies significant changes in society that cannot be successfully achieved without the support and recognition of the role of citizens and local communities. One of the fresh examples is the significant rise in energy prices, which has led to a rise in the cost of living for citizens and a rise in
energy poverty. In Croatia, this jump is mitigated by the package of measures of the Government of the Republic of Croatia that subsidizes energy prices, but it is temporary and does not represent a systemic solution. An inclusive approach that starts with the needs of citizens and communities is how we can ensure a fairer transition and acceptance of change towards renewable energy sources
Renewable energy sources such as sun, wind, water or geothermal energy are available to everyone as common goods, and their use through energy community projects, for the purpose of meeting basic energy needs, guarantees that the energy produced and the benefits thereby obtained will be retained in our local communities.
LISTS OF APPLICATIONS:
Green Energy Cooperative (ZEZ) over the last ten years, it has supported citizens and local communities in investing in renewables, energy efficiency and technologies that contribute to the decarbonisation of the energy system. ZEZ has implemented the first civic energy projects in Croatia and is a member of the European Federation of Citizen Energy Cooperatives
REScoop.eu. – https://www.zez.coop/
ZEZ Sun is a European energy cooperative that brings together citizens for joint, long-term and non-speculative investment in solar power plants to create positive social, environmental and economic values in their community. ZEZ Sunce is through its first call for members in March 2024. raised EUR 140,000 for the construction of a 200 kW citizen-owned solar power plant. – https://www.zez.coop/zez-sunce/
Croatian Energy Transition (HET) is an initiative and interactive online open access a platform that provides all interested stakeholders with an insight into the methodology of long-term planning of smart energy systems with the Republic of Croatia as a case study. – https://het.hr/
Apsyrtides Energy Cooperative operates in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago and brings together local self-government units, the business sector and citizens. The aim of the cooperative is to provide support and enable its members and the local community to participate in energy transition projects and to lead by example to other island communities. The cooperative is unique in Croatia in that there are members of two cities, Cres and Mali Lošinj.
Society for Sustainable Development Design (DOOR) is an association of experts engaged in the promotion of sustainable development in the field of energy. Our mission is to promote the principles of sustainable development in all segments of society, at local, regional and national level, primarily in the field of energy and climate, and we are actively working with local communities to become leaders of the energy transition. – https://www.door.hr/
REGEA - North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency is an institution focused on providing advice and innovative solutions in the energy and environmental sector with projects throughout the European Union. – https://regea.org/
Island Movement, information-educational platform which contains in one place all the information needed to initiate and participate in the energy transition on the Croatian islands with a special focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and the importance of the participation of islanders in the process of energy transition. – www.isoci.eu
Energy cooperative NOVI ISLAND KORČULA acts to help citizens in activities to increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources by implementing energy renovation projects, educating the population of all ages on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, and environmental protection projects by prioritising "green" energy and sustainable development in cooperation with local institutions.
North Adriatic Energy Community is an association formed by 20 members (citizens, entrepreneurs and NGOs) with the aim of producing, sharing and smartly managing renewable energy consumption; https://ezsj.hr.
Association Without Borders has been working for 12 years on the development of the local community in the Rijeka settlement of Drenova. He is the initiator and holder of numerous HR and EU projects, and among others has been working for years on the promotion of civic energy and sustainable development. Particularly noteworthy is the project of reconstruction of the Drenova Social Center, where numerous events and educations are held for the needs of the local population and entrepreneurs. He is currently a partner in the three-year LIFE DISCOVER project, where the One-Stop-Shop is being set up to support the establishment of energy communities in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. https://energija.bezgranica.hr.
Greenpeace in Croatia – Greenpeace is an independent global environmental NGO. It has been operating in Croatia since 2012. – www.greenpeace.hr
Green Network of Activist Groups (ZMAG) is an association that brings together organic gardeners, practitioners of applicable technologies and ecological construction, permaculture designers, researchers of fair social models of organization and equal interpersonal relations, and environmental activists. – https://www.zmag.hr/
My Energy Community - MEC is the first formally established energy community in Croatia. – https://www.myenergycommunity.hr/
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