Citizens driving Europe’s clean energy transition
International POWER-E-COM workshop on 25 February in Wels, Austria
WSED conference, Wels, Austria – Energy Communities are rapidly emerging as one of the most powerful drivers of Europe’s clean energy transition. On 25 February 2026, the EU LIFE project POWER-E-COM, co-funded by the European Union, will host a high-level international workshop, “Energy Communities: a driving force for the energy transition”, as part of the European Energy Efficiency Conference 2026 in Wels, Austria.
The workshop will bring together European policymakers, energy agencies, community leaders and project developers to show how citizens across Europe are actively shaping the energy system – producing, sharing and managing renewable energy locally.
From policy to practice: empowering citizens through Energy Communities
Across Europe, thousands of Energy Communities are proving that the energy transition is not only a technological challenge, but also a social one. By pooling resources, sharing renewable energy and engaging local stakeholders, these communities increase public acceptance, accelerate renewable deployment and ensure that the benefits of the energy transition remain local.
»At the workshop, participants will get an exclusive preview of a presentation by ESV on the development and the impressive numbers of Energy Communities in Austria, further highlighting the strong practical relevance of Energy Communities and showcasing the Austrian example. «
The POWER-E-COM workshop will explore:
- How European and national policies enable Energy Communities
- How financing models can unlock their growth
- How Energy Communities interact with electricity grids and DSOs
- How digital tools such as blockchain can support community energy solutions
Strong European voices and expertise
The opening session will feature leading European experts, including:
- Alejandro Ulzurrun De Asanza y Muñoz, European Commission (DG Energy), on EU policies for Energy Communities
- Christiane Egger, OÖ Energiesparverband (Austria), on the long-term role of Energy Communities in the energy system
- Talía Brun Marcen, European Commission (CINEA), on lessons from EU-funded projects
- Felix Kriedemann, REScoop.eu, on unlocking finance for Energy Communities
- Harald Proidl, e-control Austria, on cooperation with distribution system operators
- Francisco Puente, ESCAN (Spain), on blockchain applications for Energy Communities
From theory to practice: Energy Communities in action across Europe
A second session, “Beyond Theory: Success stories from Energy Communities across Europe”, will present concrete examples from Slovenia, Italy, Romania, Cyprus, Austria, Spain, France, Belgium, Bulgaria and Greece, demonstrating how community energy works in practice and how it can be replicated at scale.
Among the showcased initiatives:
- The “Weekend Energy Community” in Slovenia
- A pioneering regional model in Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Romania’s first green Energy Community
- Island Energy Communities in Gran Canaria, Spain
- Energy sharing in Belgian social housing
These examples highlight key success factors, challenges and practical solutions for building resilient, citizen-driven energy systems.
POWER-E-COM: accelerating Energy Communities in Europe
The workshop is held in the context of the ManagEnergy Initiative and the EU LIFE project POWER-E-COM, and in cooperation with FEDARENE. The LIFE project POWER-E-COM supports the development and scaling of Energy Communities across Europe by strengthening capacities, improving access to finance and fostering cooperation between local actors, authorities and energy agencies.
By hosting this international workshop, POWER-E-COM contributes directly to the European Green Deal and REPowerEU objectives, placing citizens at the heart of Europe’s energy future and showing that the energy transition can be inclusive, local and economically viable.
Part of Europe’s leading energy efficiency event
The workshop takes place within the European Energy Efficiency Conference 2026, part of the World Sustainable Energy Days, which gathers over 450 experts from 50+ countries in Wels, Austria, from 25–27 February 2026.
The conference theme, “Energy Efficiency = Energy Independence”, underlines the strategic role of local renewable energy and Energy Communities in strengthening Europe’s resilience.
For more information and to follow the progress on Energy Communities visit https://power-e-com.eu/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/power-e-com and subscribe to the POWER‑E‑COM YouTube channel.
Communication media contact:
The POWER‑E‑COM Communications Team
Email: power-e-com@energiewende-oberland.de
POWER-E-COM is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are however the sole responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, CINEA or
the POWER-E-COM consortium.
