EU Project Helps 3 Cities Build Community Clean Energy

Across Europe, ordinary people are taking control of their energy future, but many community projects stall before they even get started.

Enter LIFE COMANAGE, a 3-year EU initiative that's cracking the code on what makes neighborhood energy projects succeed. The €1.7 million program works with communities in three pilot cities to turn solar panels and wind turbines from pipe dreams into working systems owned and operated by residents themselves.

"We believe that energy communities are a way to democratize local energy," says Marcel Camps Inglès, energy transition technician at Barcelona Metropolitan Area. "They also support the transition to a fair, 100% renewable energy system."

The project tackles the messy reality that stops most community energy efforts: confusing regulations, funding gaps, and simply not knowing where to start. Each city faces different local rules, so the team created special support hubs that develop solutions tailored to what each community actually needs.

Those solutions now live in free online toolkits anyone can access. The resources include step-by-step guides, templates, an interactive learning program, and even a chatbot that answers questions about starting energy communities. One guide specifically helps cities fight energy poverty through community power projects.

The Ripple Effect

The program's success is already spreading far beyond Europe. A board of nine practitioners from cities worldwide, including Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa, are adapting the methods to bring clean energy access to millions of people in their communities.

In Krakow, monthly meetings brought together local stakeholders and experts to learn both the legal and technical sides of energy cooperatives. "Outreach and stakeholder engagement have been essential," says project specialist Bartołomiej Smenda.

The numbers tell a hopeful story. The project helped create 12 new energy policies, reached more than double its original stakeholder target, and prevents over 16,200 tons of carbon emissions annually.

Andrea Vignoli, project manager in Italy's Lazio region, sees the bigger picture. "Renewable energy communities represent a major challenge for sustainable development because it focuses not only on energy but also on people."

When the project wraps in October 2025, those support hubs will keep running, ensuring communities continue getting the help they need to power their neighborhoods with clean, locally owned energy.