Piemonte Region is nowadays committed in endorsing its Energy and Environmental Energy Plan, which is setting the main targets for 2030 in terms of renewable energy production and level of energy efficiency. One of the pillar of the Plan includes the promotion of local energy communities. The energy system, indeed, is going through a moment of epochal transformation. The progressive penetration of distributed generation, accompanied by digitization and flexibility in the management of networks, is paving the way for the creation of new actors: the "prosumer". The possibility of allowing real-time dialogue between production and consumption at the local level, benefiting from storage systems and intelligent measurement of consumption, will be a prerequisite for optimizing the local use of Renewable Energy Sources.
While the legislative framework is still to be clarified at National level, the first Energy Communities projects are starting in Piemonte, thanks to the Regional support. In 2020 those projects will be developed further. In the framework of the Interreg Europe SHREC project, Piemonte Region will establish a roundtable with this stakeholders in order to boost opportunities of knowledge transfer in such new topic.
Energy Communities, as they are figured out at regional level, are group of local administrations participating directly in the energy transition, by jointly investing in producing, selling and distributing renewable energy. They should look for a progressive decarbonization process and a more balanced level of energy flows between demand and supply. Beyond the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, there are many benefits for the communities involved, including economic development, the creation of new jobs, cheaper energy, self-sufficiency, community cohesion and energy security.
