Regarding the Spanish legal framework, Royal Decree-Law 23/2020 of June 23, which approves measures in the energy and other areas for economic reactivation, defines Renewable Energy Communities as "legal entities based on open and voluntary participation, autonomous and effectively controlled by partners or members that are located in the vicinity of renewable energy projects owned and developed by such legal entities, whose partners or members are natural persons, SMEs or local authorities, including municipalities and whose primary purpose is to provide environmental, economic or social benefits to their partners or members or to the local areas where they operate, rather than financial gain. "
This is certainly a limited regulatory framework, which is expected to be more fully developed in the near future. In any case, this legislative situation has not prevented the implementation of real Energy Communities projects in the Basque Country.
We are taking action based on the current legislation and on the strategic-regulatory documentation that collaterally favors the effective implementation of different models of Energy Communities, led by active consumers, protagonists of a new decarbonized energy model on which the Basque Energy Transition Strategy pivots.
There is still a long way to go, but undoubtedly the first steps have been taken.
As of today, the current European regulatory framework on Energy Communities establishes, on the one hand, the definition of Citizen Energy Communities, through the EU Directive 2019 / 944, on common rules for the internal market in electricity and on the other hand, establishes the definition of Renewable Energy Communities, through the EU Directive 2018 / 2001, on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
In the download button you can access the presentation that Ander made at the event "Comunidades energéticas, la apuesta por el autoconsumo" (only available in Spanish)
