19.09.2025 | ECOEMPOWER contribution to the Rural History 2025 – 7th Biennial Conference of the European Rural History Organisation [EURHO]
Within ECOEMPOWER, we explore how rural communities can actively shape the energy transition. At Rural History 2025, consortium member Aurore Dudka from University of Trento, highlighted the importance of Thermal Energy Communities (TECs) in addressing inequalities between urban and rural territories.
Today, most energy policies are designed with cities in mind. Yet more than half of Europe’s energy use is for heating, and many rural areas lack access to efficient district heating systems. This risks leaving them behind in the transition. TECs offer a solution: small-scale, renewable heating networks built on cooperation between citizens, municipalities, and enterprises. By using local resources such as forestry or agricultural byproducts, they cut carbon emissions while generating jobs and reinvesting value locally.
The challenge lies not only in the high upfront costs and dispersed settlement patterns but also in building long-term organisation. Here, rural social enterprises act as crucial enablers, bridging communities, local governments, and markets. As we argue, innovation in rural areas is not just technological—it depends on trust, cooperation, and shared commitment.
A leading example is Forest’Ener in the French Alps, which has developed 26 projects (19 in operation, 7 in design). Supplying 9.5 GWh of renewable heat annually, these initiatives have mobilised €12.5 million in investment while embedding ownership across citizens, municipalities, and renewable energy firms.
ECOEMPOWER’s pilot site at Le Bourget-du-Lac (France) builds on this model. Alongside solar and water initiatives, the community is now co-developing a district heating project under shared governance. This expands our perspective beyond solar to explore how collective engagement can succeed in more complex infrastructures such as district heating, wind, and hydropower.
The key message: rural areas are not lagging behind—they are pioneering innovative, fair, and community-driven energy solutions for Europe’s future.
