On 27-28 March 2024, the University of Turin hosted energy experts from different countries and diverse scientific backgrounds. The purpose was to conclude the project titled “Private Law and the Energy Commons”.
As one of the invited speakers, I presented on the topic of “Energy Communities: A Problem or a Solution for the Energy System in Transition? A Regulatory Riddle”. In my presentation, I addressed questions related to energy communities:
- Are energy communities a problem for the energy system, or a solution to its challenges?
- Do they have a vital role in the energy transition, or quite the opposite, is their role marginal?
- What makes the energy system interested in utilising these structures, and what makes these structures a burden to it?
- Is their development fast, or too slow?
These seemingly simple questions are not as obvious as they may appear at first glance. Although controversial in nature, they are intended to provoke a discussion regarding the utilisation of different forms of energy cooperation at the local level in an attempt to find the best available model for their regulation. In this context, the proposed deliberation on the legal framework of energy communities, with reference to examples of different jurisdictions, including European, was aimed to provide arguments for creating an environment in which energy communities can grow without causing problems to the energy system, while being able to contribute to the energy transition at their full potential.
