Changing the future of
energy: civil society as a
main player in renewable
energy generation
EESC Study
Presentation at the conference
Community energy & Local Goverments: Capacity
building on … community energy projects
“ICLEI Conference” Warsaw, april 6, 2016
Lutz Ribbe
EESC Sustainable Development Observatory
[email protected]
Objectives in the EU, decided by politicians, f.e. ...
• ... in 2009, the EU Renewable Energy Directive:
(EU Directive 2009/28/EC)
 by 2020: -20% GHG-emission, 20% energy from renewables
• ... in 2014, the “EU 2030 climate and energy package”:
 by 2030: at least -40% GHG-emission, 27% renewables
• ... Juncker: Europe should become Nr 1 in RES in the
world
The EU directive on RES (2009)
• Not just the national binding targets for renewables ...
• ... includes some important statement on the benefits
of the energy transition and on “players”
• today: a few “big player” (in Germany: 4, in France: 1)
are producing electricity in centralized power plants.
• Role of consumer: buying and paying. But what about
the future?  prosumer?
Background: Preamble of the EU directive on RES (2009)
• (3) ... Production of energy from renewable sources often depends
on local or regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The opportunities for growth and employment that investments in
regional and local production of energy from renewable sources bring
about in the Member States and their regions are important. ...
Background: Preamble of the EU directive on RES (2009)
• (6) .... The move towards decentralised energy production has many
benefits, including the utilisation of local energy sources, increased
local security of energy supply, shorter transport distances and reduced
energy transmission losses. Such decentralisation also fosters
community development and cohesion by providing income sources
and creating jobs locally. (…)
Background: Preamble of the EU directive on RES (2009)
• (43) .... In order to stimulate the contribution by individual citizens to
the objectives set out in this Directive, the relevant authorities should
consider the possibility of replacing authorisations by simple
notifications to the competent body when installing small decentralised
devices for producing energy from renewable sources."
Understanding:
• RES is much more than just a technical question! It`s
on the structure of the energy production, it`s on
market and money
• we can combine energy production and regional
development!
• Need for EU, national and regional policies and
strategies for empowering local/ regional renewable
energy generation
3 questions raised in our study:
1. What is the real role of civil society, what kind of
involvement is foreseen/ happening: simply
information, consultation or active producers of
energy?
2. Is civil society ready to play a role?
3. Does the legal framework enable/ allow civil society to
play that role?
Methodology:
• Desk research;
• Interviews with EU level stakeholders;
• Missions to six EU Member States (selected for a balanced
geographical representation and different implementation levels):
• Germany (March 2014)
• Poland (April 2014)
• France (April 2014)
• United Kingdom (May 2014)
• Lithuania (May 2014)
• Bulgaria (July 2014)
• Stakeholder workshop in Brussels, September 2014.
Main findings (1)
1. Local acceptance/ local opposition of renewable
energy infrastructure, depending on the involvement
2. Stakeholder want to make use of their local
resources, such a wind, solar and biomass …
3. … “we will not allow to steel our wind”
4. technology exist – and becomes cheaper and cheaper
 civic energy – a rather new phenomena and
movement
What is “Civic energy”?
Energy (electricity, heat, fuel f.e. for tractors …)
from renewable energy sources (solar, wind, biomass)
locally produced by citizens, communities, local
authorities, charities, NGOs, farmers, cooperatives or
SME`s and
- at least partly - used by them
( prosumer approach)
What is needed to promote civic energy?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Favourable policy frameworks for civic energy
Simple administrative procedures
Effective support mechanisms // level playing field
Grid development and management
Participatory and transparent policy dialogue
 Political willingness
What is needed to promote civic energy?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Favourable policy frameworks for civic energy
Simple administrative procedures
Effective support mechanisms // level playing field
Grid development and management
Participatory and transparent policy dialogue
3. Effective support mechanisms
• Feed-in priority for electricity from renewable sources.
• Feed-in tariffs should be the main form of support for
civic renewable energy.
• Net-metering for civic power production.
• Tenders and auctions can put a disproportionate
burden, or even exclude small energy producers.
Why do we have to support renewables?
5 300 000 000 000 $/ year
14 500 000 000 $/ day
604 000 000 $/ hour
Any discussion on that?
5. Participatory and transparent policy dialogue
• Design, implement and review renewable energy
policies in continuous dialogue with civil society.
• Launch a transparent and objective policy dialogue on
the long-term costs and benefits of the energy
transition, and on their fair distribution.
• The social consequences of the energy transition
must be adequately addressed by strategies to help
mitigate adverse effects on jobs and on socially weak
households.
is civic energy possible
- or just a nice (?) idea?
Germany: Electricity capacity 2014 (in MW)
Photovoltaik
Wind
hard coal
gas
lignit/ brown coal
nuclear
biomas
hydro power
…
• Total
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(renewables
38.124
35.678
27.853
28.439
21.206
12.068
8.153
5.619
…
177.140
87.574)
An example: the German Energiewende:
Ownership distribution of installed renewable electricity generation
capacity in Germany (2012).
Source: Blog "German Energy Transition"
In 2015:
• More than 32% of
electricity from (3% in
1990) renewable sources.
• More than 1000 energy
cooperatives.
• More than 50 % of the
currently installed
capacity (73 GW) are civic
energy installations.
Bottom-up approach
– cooperatives owning Renewebales
The number of energy cooperatives in
Germany has risen sharply –
from 101 in 2007 to 586 in 2011, around
1.000 in 2014
Legend
Active energy cooperatives, 30.06.2011
Active energy cooperatives, 31.12.2011
Source: Klaus Novy Institut e.V. 2012, study on behalf of the BMU
Main findings (2)
• Civic energy is possible!
• the advantages mentioned (jobs, regional business
and development …) can become reality
• needed: the right frame (= the right policy)
• Germany: the “renewable energy act” (the “EEG”) was
not set in place to promote civic energy, but made it
possible …
• … offered “windows of opportunities”
• But politicians start to close them
Main findings (3)
• Civil society is interested and ready to be a major
driver of the energy transition …
• … contributing with human resources, funds and
creativity;
• Shared local socio-economic benefits and incomes
that stay within the communities;
 Climate protection, energy policy, regional
development/ business, job creation
Main findings (4)
• Highly motivated civil society in all of the visited
countries, aware of the opportunities for local socioeconomic development offered by renewable energy.
• Frustrations with bureaucratic hurdles and with the
non-recognition of civic energy by policy makers, and
fears about current policy reforms.
• No consistently implemented, targeted policy support
for civic renewable energy at any level
• Allow civil society to act!
 political willingness?
Podlaskie jest importerem energii
import energii
do
województwa
[mln zł], Total
w tym koszty
gospodarstw
domowych [mln zł]
Private Haushalte
Węgiel/ Kohle
396
139
gaz ziemny/ Erdgas
266
96
propan butan
171
135
OO lekki/ Heizöl
100
OO ciężki/ schw. Öl
30
energia cieplna/
Wärme
energia elektryczna/
Strom
820
11
439
937
513
paliwo sam
osobowe/
Benzin für PKW
1 575
1 200
paliwo sam
ciężarowe, autobusy,
itd./ LKW und Bus
1 336
paliwo rolnicze/
Diesel Landwirts.
SUMA
515
5 327
2 533
Ochrona klimatu a projekt
energetyczny dla miasta i gminy
Łapy
3. Prezentacja wyników
Energia elektryczna:
Prąd - Łapy 2013
Zużycie względem potencjału
Ciepło – prywatne domostwa w Łapach 2013
Zużycie względem potencjału
[bez uwzględniania potencjału oszczędności w
budynkach]
120.000
[bez uwzględniania potencjału oszczędności w
budynkach]
140.000
Wind
100.000
120.000
Solarthermie
100.000
Holz
PV-Dach
80.000
PV-FF
60.000
40.000
Narew
80.000
Wirtschaftsdünger
60.000
Energiepflanzen
40.000
Strom
20.000
0
Energie-Verbrauch
38.500 MWh / a
Potenzial
107.400 MWh / a
Narew
Wirtschaftsdünger
Energiepflanzen
Wärme
20.000
0
Energie-Verbrauch
129.250 MWh / a
Potenzial
110.900 MWh / a
3. Prezentacja wyników
Ciepło:
 Stopień pokrycia: 192,8 %
… towards a new energy policy!
Report publication:
January 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
EESC Sustainable Development Observatory
Changing the future of energy:
civil society as a main player in
renewable energy generation
EESC Study
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.eesc.europa.eu/?i=portal.en.sdo-observatory-red