Interreg MED Renewable Energy Community at EUSEW 2021
The Interreg MED Renewable Energy community took part in the EU Sustainable Energy Week 2021 (EUSEW), sharing the outcomes of the ETU Initiative Flagship Cases, and highlighting the importance of energy communities in the green energy transition.
The Interreg MED Renewable Energy community organised a Sustainable Energy Day event and an Energy Talk, and ran a digital stand at the Energy Fair. Through these events, the community highlighted the work done over the past year within the framework of the ETU Initiative, supporting the nine ETU Flagship Cases with their ongoing renewable energy projects, policies, and energy communities.
The Energy Talk was the first session held by the Renewable Energy community, taking place on 26th October. The session revolved around the ongoing work done with the ETU Initiative Flagship Cases. Cynthia Echave (EMEA) – Project Manager of the Renewable Energy community – explained the Flagship Case selection process, as well as the transferring and mainstreaming methodology that the project’s experts are developing with the Cases. Echave dove into the Greek island Flagship Cases of Naxos and Skopelos, explaining their motivations for joining the Initiative, the ETU Tools applied, and the planning developed for the short, middle and long term. Watch the full presentation and replay the session in the EUSEW platform.
The Sustainable Energy Day event was the second session organised by the community, delving into renewable energy communities (RECs) as catalysts for the energy transition in the Mediterranean, and took place on27th October. The event started by giving space to three representatives of RECs within the ETU Initiative Flagship Cases, presenting the challenges and opportunities found in the process of establishing RECs. José Miguel Granados – representing the case of Monachil (Spain) –, Carmelo Licitra – representative of the Ragusa’s case (Italy) –, and Sergio Olivero – representing the flagship case of Magliano Alpi (Italy) – explained what their situation was one year ago, and how the ETU Initiative is supporting them to implement their projects.
Following the practical insights from the Flagship Case representatives, Stavroula Pappa – Policy Expert at REScoop.eu –, and Achille Hannoset – Policy Officer at DG ENER (EU Commission) – discussed the importance of including RECs in energy policy across the EU to facilitate their establishment and support the green energy transition. In a dynamic interactive session, Pappa and Hannoset shared their knowledge on the state of the art of REC policy frameworks in the EU member states, and their perception of the role of RECs and regional priorities for the energy transition overall.
Lastly, the Energy Fair – held throughout the EUSEW – offered the opportunity for ‘visitors’ to meet the Interreg MED Renewable Energy community’s team, raise their questions about the project, and discover more about the ETU Initiative and its resources. Over the course of the week, the stand received more than one hundred visits.
About the EUSEW
The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is a month-long series of activities to build a secure energy future for Europe. It brings together public authorities, private companies, NGOs and consumers to promote initiatives to save energy and move towards renewables for clean, secure and efficient power.
Launched in 2006 by the European Commission, EUSEW 2021 was organised by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), in close cooperation with the Directorate-General for Energy.