Citizens across the European Union are still struggling to engage in the clean energy transition, despite the existence of credible mechanisms to facilitate their participation. The complexity, uneven implementation, and lack of accessibility of these mechanisms have left many households unaware of the tangible gains they could achieve. This is where the EU’s Citizens Energy Package, building on the Clean Energy Package and the 2025 Action Plan for Affordable Energy, aims to empower consumers and enable energy sharing. As Young Energy Ambassadors (YEA), we have contributed to the public consultation with practical solutions to make energy communities and community-benefit clauses work more effectively, fairly, and at scale.
Energy Communities (EComms) are a promising approach to turn hosts into partners, where citizens co-own and share power. However, barriers persist, such as differing definitions and implementations across Member States, low awareness, complex bureaucratic set-up and operations, and limited benefits for vulnerable groups. To address these challenges, we propose a set of complementary solutions. Energy community-focused One-Stop Shops (OSS) would act as single-entry hubs, providing ready-to-use documentation, energy-sharing evaluations, and clear guidance on regulatory steps. We also advocate for the formal recognition of young people, especially renters, as a vulnerable group within national social frameworks, enabling them to access dedicated benefits and support schemes. A dedicated civil-service track for energy communities would enable young professionals to gain first-hand experience while supporting communities with day-to-day management and citizen engagement activities. Furthermore, a Renewable Energy System Identifier (RES-ID) would simplify participation by storing all the renewable energy systems’ technical data required by different national authorities, making it reusable across different national portal procedures.
Our case studies highlight successful examples of energy communities across Europe. In Alto Vicentino, Italy, 16 municipalities set up an energy community, added photovoltaics on public buildings, and made national grants accessible for residents and small firms. The Hyperion Energy Community in Athens, Greece, aims to evolve into an ESCO to support the renovation of apartments in multi-unit residential buildings, ensuring gender balance and representation of diverse social groups. In the Netherlands, Energie Samen Rivierenland is revitalising its dated housing stock through a co-design process for interventions, focusing on energy poverty and elderly residents. Renoss in Italy is a network of One Stop Shops dedicated to Renewable Energy Communities, run by public local energy agencies, supporting energy communities via dedicated services.
While energy communities address environmental benefits, they may not always tackle social equity concerns from renewable energy projects. This is where community-benefit clauses come into play, introducing benefit-sharing mechanisms such as community funds and shared equity ownership. However, progress is uneven, with many schemes being complex, opaque, and engaging residents too late. To make renewable energy projects fairer and more inclusive, national governments can set out simple rules to ensure that local communities share in the benefits. Benefit criteria can be built directly into auction schemes, with clear guidance on eligible uses such as local energy relief or community facilities. An OSS can help communities check who qualifies, access funds or compensation, and connect to training or re-skilling opportunities. Targeted communication through youth groups, schools, community centres, and local media can raise awareness, using an EU-adapted model that considers both income and housing conditions.
Our case studies on community-benefit clauses include Ireland’s RESS auctions, where every supported project pays €2/MWh into a local Community Benefit Fund and appears on a national SEAI register with guidance on eligible uses. Denmark’s VE-loven goes further by pairing money with ownership and protection.
The development of the energy sector could be significantly shaped by the implementation of these practical approaches. Energy communities and community-benefit clauses, if made more accessible and inclusive, could empower citizens to actively participate in the clean energy transition. This shift could not only lead to a more sustainable energy landscape but also foster social equity and community engagement. As the EU continues to refine its policies and mechanisms, the insights and solutions proposed by Young Energy Ambassadors could play a crucial role in turning energy communities and local benefit-sharing into simple, fair ways for citizens to join the clean energy transition.