TY - JOUR

T1 - Regulatory challenges and opportunities for collective renewable energy prosumers in the EU

AU - Campos, Inês

AU - Luz, Guilherme Pontes

AU - González, Esther Marín

AU - Gährs, Swantje

AU - Hall, Stephen

AU - Holstenkamp, Lars

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nr 764056. The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the funding authorities. The funding authorities are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 The Authors

PY - 2020/3/1

Y1 - 2020/3/1

N2 - The transition to a low-carbon future based on renewable energy sources is leading to a new role for citizens, from passive energy consumers to active energy citizens - the so-called renewable energy (RE) prosumers. Recent EU energy policy seeks to mainstream RE prosumers in each Member State. This study carries out a cross-country comparison between the regulatory frameworks of nine countries and regions - Belgium (Flanders region only), Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and the United Kingdom - to reveal the main challenges and opportunities that these have posed to collective RE prosumers (i.e. renewable energy communities, citizen energy communities and jointly-acting renewable self-consumers). Four countries have had more favourable frameworks for collective prosumers: France, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom. The results indicate that the current legal framework at the EU level represents a clear opportunity for collective prosumers. Spain and Portugal have both already shifted from a restrictive regulation to implementing in 2019 a legal framework for collectives. The study provides a starting point to distil policy implications for improving legal frameworks relevant for collective RES prosumers across Europe.

AB - The transition to a low-carbon future based on renewable energy sources is leading to a new role for citizens, from passive energy consumers to active energy citizens - the so-called renewable energy (RE) prosumers. Recent EU energy policy seeks to mainstream RE prosumers in each Member State. This study carries out a cross-country comparison between the regulatory frameworks of nine countries and regions - Belgium (Flanders region only), Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and the United Kingdom - to reveal the main challenges and opportunities that these have posed to collective RE prosumers (i.e. renewable energy communities, citizen energy communities and jointly-acting renewable self-consumers). Four countries have had more favourable frameworks for collective prosumers: France, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom. The results indicate that the current legal framework at the EU level represents a clear opportunity for collective prosumers. Spain and Portugal have both already shifted from a restrictive regulation to implementing in 2019 a legal framework for collectives. The study provides a starting point to distil policy implications for improving legal frameworks relevant for collective RES prosumers across Europe.

KW - Citizen energy communities

KW - Collective RE prosumers

KW - Cross-country comparison

KW - Regulatory frameworks

KW - Renewable energy communities

KW - Management studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077001709&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111212

DO - 10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111212

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85077001709

VL - 138

JO - Energy Policy

JF - Energy Policy

SN - 0301-4215

M1 - 111212

ER -