At the initiative of Electra Energy Cooperative and EKPOIZO, 16 Energy Communities and Civil Society Organizations, including The Green Tank, sent a joint letter to the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy and RAEWW, highlighting two key issues for the further development of the institution of energy communities, namely:
- the implementation of virtual net metering for energy communities,
- providing clarifications on the implementation of the new legislative framework for energy communities as well as the adoption of the relevant Joint Ministerial Decisions.
To date, it has been observed in several cases that the contracts for virtual net metering have not been implemented by suppliers. Therefore, while the energy communities have taken all the necessary actions and are operating their projects normally, producing the energy needed for their members, they are still being charged for energy consumption due to the non-implementation of virtual net metering.
The letter also stresses that it is necessary for the Ministry of Environment and Energy to clarify certain issues so that the 2023 law is fully implemented, and existing energy communities have all the information they need to move forward in the coming period. For example, the process of converting an energy community into one of the two new types (Renewable Energy Community or Citizen Energy Community) is not clear, and the same goes for the implications of this conversion for the communities’ projects.
There is a high level of interest among citizens in meeting their energy needs from renewables through energy communities. Now is the time to resolve issues and support citizens in practice to participate in a clean, sustainable and just energy system.
You can read the letter here (in Greek).
