30.10.2026 | ECOEMPOWER has strengthened support for renewable energy communities across five European regions. The newly published Final Publishable Report highlights the project's achievements, regional experiences and lessons learned.
How can citizens, municipalities and regional organisations actively shape Europe's energy transition? Over three years (2023–2026), ECOEMPOWER addressed this question by developing practical tools, regional support structures and participatory approaches to help renewable energy communities emerge and thrive.
The newly published ECOEMPOWER Final Publishable Report is available in six languages (under the links of the Five regions, below), and brings together achievements, regional experiences and recommendations for future initiatives.
Five regions, five One-Stop Shops
At the heart of ECOEMPOWER's achievements is the establishment and strengthening of five regional One-Stop Shops (OSSs) in Italy, France, Germany, Czechia and Greece. These provide accessible information, technical guidance, networking opportunities and practical support for developing energy communities.
Each region followed an approach tailored to its local needs:
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Italy (Trento): Strengthened provincial support services and cooperation between municipalities and emerging energy communities, building on a growing network of local renewable-energy initiatives.
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France (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Grand Est): Expanded an established citizen-energy support network, strengthening advisory services, training and knowledge exchange.
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Germany (Allgäu): Developed a regional OSS connecting existing energy cooperatives, municipalities and citizens, with an emphasis on local networks and accessible information.
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Czechia (Zlín): Advanced regional support structures and cooperation around energy sharing, municipal renewable-energy projects and emerging community initiatives.
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Greece (Central Greece): Strengthened the foundations for community energy through local stakeholder mobilisation, capacity-building and support for renewable-energy pilot initiatives.
Putting people at the centre
A key achievement of ECOEMPOWER was the development and implementation of an adaptable participatory engagement methodology across the five regions.
Through locally tailored stakeholder engagement, networking and knowledge exchange, the project brought together citizens, municipalities, cooperatives and other organisations. These activities helped identify regional needs, strengthen cooperation and inform the development of OSS services.
The project also developed a social-impact monitoring framework addressing energy democracy, energy justice, community empowerment, wellbeing and awareness.
Practical tools and lasting impact
Beyond the regional OSSs, ECOEMPOWER delivered an Energy-ICT Platform for energy forecasting, modelling and cost-benefit analysis, alongside business-planning resources, OSS guidelines and a European knowledge-sharing platform.
Together, these results offer a transferable approach to supporting energy communities across Europe, combining technical expertise, institutional cooperation and meaningful citizen participation.
