Voices from the Grid: Stories Powering Policy Change A Whitebook by the ECOEMPOWER Project

Developed by ECOEMPOWER, a consortium of local stakeholders, researchers, local governments and energy agencies, and funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the Whitebook documents three years of work supporting Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) across five pilot sites in Greece, France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany.

The report presents policy recommendations for supporting RECs at each stage of their development, from founding to long-term operation. These are paired with interviews with volunteers, local authorities and community members involved in each pilot project.

It also examines the practical, financial and social barriers RECs face. The report outlines how targeted support, including One-Stop Shops, funding mechanisms and knowledge-sharing between communities, can help them succeed.

As RECs are increasingly recognised as a tool for decentralising and decarbonising Europe's energy system, the Whitebook aims to translate lived experience into concrete guidance for policymakers and practitioners working to support citizen-led energy initiatives.

Read the full Whitebook here