The decree giving the green light to renewable energy communities has been published

The decree on renewable energy communities and self-consumption is in force.To produce, share and distribute clean energy.

• The decree of the Ministry of the Environment on renewable energy communities and self-consumption has been published:is in effect from today.
• Now citizens, companies, organizations and associations will be able to come together to generate, share and distribute energy.
• The provision stimulates the creation of Cers with contributions for 40 percent of the costs and subsidized tariffs on renewable energy.

Here we are, even the last step to unlock the spread of energy communities it was done.From today, January 24th, the decree published by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security comes into force precisely to stimulate the birth and development throughout the Italian territory of renewable energy communities and self-consumption, after this had already previously obtained the OK from the Court of Auditors and the European Commission.

What does the decree on renewable energy communities provide? 

Renewable energy communities are communities made up of groups of people, companies or local entities who collaborate to generate, share and distribute renewable energy more efficiently and equitably:they can be citizen associations, commercial activities, local public administrations and small or medium-sized enterprises, capable of putting into practice a decentralized approach to energy production and distribution, in which community members can be producers, consumers or both.

The decree identifies two ways to promote the development of renewable energy communities in the country:

• a non-repayable contribution of up to 40 percent of the costs eligible, financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and aimed at communities whose plants are built in municipalities under five thousand inhabitants which will support the development of a total of two gigawatts,
• a incentive tariff on renewable energy produced and shared throughout the national territory.

The two benefits can be combined with each other.Through the provision, the development of five total gigawatts of systems of renewable energy production.Also soon the energy services manager (Gse, the company wholly owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance which is responsible for the promotion and development of renewable sources and energy efficiency), will launch an information campaign to make consumers aware of the benefits linked to the new mechanism:the first "step" is already online and consists of some "faqs" to begin to orient citizens, small and medium-sized businesses, institutions, cooperatives and all other recipients of the provision.

According to the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, “renewable energy communities and widespread self-consumption are two central cogs in the country's energy transition:today we are therefore even closer to this long-awaited objective, which could truly provide a turning point for the development of renewables in Italy, strengthening its energy security and bringing us closer to climate objectives".However, the technical time needed to draw up the rules for the disbursement of contributions will still take around two and a half months.But according to Gianfranco Pederzolli, president of the National Federation of Mountain Catchment Basin Consortia, “Renewable Energy Communities not only represent a step forward towards a more sustainable energy system, but are also effective tools in combating energy poverty and promoting social cohesion in local communities”.