- The Green Tank studies all available data, records trends, and, via concrete recommendations, continuously intervenes in the public debate on the development of the institution of Energy Communities and the latter’s contribution to the Just Transition of the lignite regions.
Review #3 January 2023
Review #2 September 2022
Review #1 November 2021
Policy Recommendations
By The Green Tank
A provision of subsidies for part of the cost of RES project installation should be instituted for public-benefit Energy Communities (involving either local/regional authorities or citizens), whose main objective is to cover their own needs through net-metering.
The grid should be upgraded and sufficient electrical space should be reserved to connect Energy Community projects, and especially those involving energy storage.
Priority should be given to local/regional authorities’ and citizens’ Energy Community projects whose objective is meeting own electricity needs; these projects should be guaranteed sufficient “electrical space” along with a suitable -in terms of size- land area for the installation of photovoltaic plants in the Lignite phase-out Zones.
A minimum fixed allocation of annual resources from the auctioning of CO2 emission allowances should be established, to be utilized according to the priorities of the Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) and the corresponding Just Development Transition Program (PDAM), with a focus on Energy Communities.
A development fund (or an intermediary body) should be set up specifically for Energy Communities, in order to facilitate access to loans, provide guarantees, cover the costs of participating in competitive procedures, and subsidize the costs of projects’ preliminary phases.
It is essential to enhance citizen participation in large-scale RES projects implemented in lignite areas by large companies such as the Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC); this could be achieved by instituting share ownership and reserving part of the shares to be purchased by Energy Communities.
The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) that is currently under review should set specific quantitative targets for Energy Communities.
An information hub for energy communities should be launched by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, aimed to strengthen the institution through the collection and publication of data on Energy Communities and the formulation of recommendations (indicatively, regarding support schemes, business models, institutional changes, etc.), as well as to provide direct information on all relevant institutional developments and to address any issues that arise.
News
Ιn view of the October 2023 local elections, The Green Tank sent an open letter to all candidates
P R E S S R E L E A S E In recent years, self-production through energy communities
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in the fourth Annual Political Dialogue of the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition,
As energy communities become a vital tool for citizen participation in the energy transition, both in Europe and
In the midst of the energy crisis, energy communities and citizen participation in the use of energy resources
In her contribution to the webinar “Navigating the just transition: role of energy communities”, organized by CEE Bankwatch,
Under a policy measure introduced in 2018, part of the public revenues of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission allowances
Five years of Energy Communities in Greece and The Green Tank launches its Community Energy Watch. Citizens can produce
The Green Tank contributed with comments to the public consultation on the draft bill of the Ministry of
Bringing into the spotlight the role of Municipalities in creating energy communities and ensuring the energy autonomy of
In the city of Kozani, in Western Macedonia, the heart of Greece’s energy transition, local authorities, entrepreneurs, members
The Region of Western Macedonia and The Green Tank co-organize the workshop “Energy Communities: Local authorities, enterprises and
When reducing energy costs becomes an imperative, local communities turn increasingly to renewable energy sources to meet their
Ioanna Theodosiou, policy officer at The Green Tank, participated in the conference “Rethink! Ideas Forum”, in the session
Τhe Green Tank co-organized a special session on “Community Energy and Just Transition in coal regions” in the
Ioanna Theodosiou, policy officer at The Green Tank, contributed to OIKOTOPIA’s special digital issue on energy with the
An article by Ioanna Theodosiou presenting recommendations for the improvement of the development framework for energy communities in
An article by Ioanna Theodosiou presenting the possibility of laying down a state aid scheme specifically for energy
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in a session of the Just Transition Platform, organized by the European Commission, dedicated on
Comment by Ioanna Theodosiou on the recent developments concerning the development of energy communities in an article by
Nikos Mantzaris participated in the event "Scaling up energy communities in Bulgaria", on October 21, 2021. The event
Ioanna Theodosiou presents recommendations to support the deployment of Energy Communities in order to ovecome existing problems, in
Ioanna Theodosiou participated in the event titled “ Non- profit energy communities: Their role in energy democracy and
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou about the new reality Renewable Energy Communities need to confront. The upcoming transposition
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou about the role of the Renewable Energy Communities in the Territorial Just Transition
The Green Tank in collaboration with the Heinrich Boll Stiftung Greece are publishing a feature on the contemporary
Opinion piece by Ioanna Theodosiou on energy communities and the role they should and must play in the