EUCENA – European Citizen Energy Academy
Creating and sharing the necessary knowledge to increase the number of energy communities in Southeast Europe, paying special attention to gender justice and business model innovation.
Project info
Albania, Germany, Greece
10/20 - 09/22
Public sector, Regional governments
702,353.61 €
Contact info
Antonia Proka
- REScoop.eu
- REScoop.eu
- Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V.
- Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V.
- Electra Energy Cooperative
- Milieukontakt Albanien
- Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)
Background
Citizen energy is a means for citizens to take climate action into their own hands. With the Clean Energy Package and in particular with the Electricity Directive, the EU has emphasised the significance of citizen energy for participation, innovation and inclusion. For the first time, EU legislation thus acknowledges the role of community energy ownership meeting its climate and energy objectives – while at the same time driving local innovation. In the long term, the Directive embraces the vision of an Energy Union, where citizens are enabled to become the driving force behind energy transition.
Project
The European Citizen Energy Academy supports the citizen energy movement throughout Europe. It does so by fostering knowledge creation and transfer between Southeast and Central Europe. More specifically, it provides knowledge and tools on community building, development and cooperation between communities. Best practice examples illustrate how to overcome the barriers for citizen energy.
The Academy organises workshops and coaching sessions primarily in Albania, Greece, and Germany. Furthermore, workshop and study tours take place in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Two summer schools foster cooperation between citizens in Southeast Europe, where citizen energy is just developing, and well established energy communities in Central Europe.
The project employs an inclusive approach, which involves citizens of different ages, genders as well as socio-economic and ethnic groups. It thus also contributes to overcoming energy and mobility poverty as well as gender inequality.
