Cooperatives Europe calls for more renewable energy co-operatives in Europe

​Cooperatives Europe is helping to promote a co-operative option for the renewable energy sector in Europe.

Across the EU member states, more than 2,000 energy co-ops have been established, with 700 of them based in Germany.

In 2011, the International Co-operative Alliance's regional body for Europe set up a working group on energy and environment with the aim of developing an overall strategy and implementing concrete actions to raise the profile of renewable energy co-operatives.

The group includes a combination of organisations and individual co-operatives involved in the energy sector, including Eurocoop, Cecodhas Housing Europe, the Co-operative Group, Co-operatives UK, the Co-operative Energy, Legacoop, Kooperationen and SOK Corporation.

As part of its efforts to promote renewable energy co-operatives, Cooperatives Europe participated in the EU Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels in 2012 and 2013, helping to organise high-level conferences on renewable energy topics. Through this, the regional body established direct contacts with the relevant EU Commission services and EU Parliament committees.

If countries such as Germany and Denmark have already reached the 20 per cent renewable energy goal, other EU member states have still to meet the 2020 target. According to Klaus Niederlander, Director of Cooperatives Europe, ‘old economy’ energy utilities are trying to defend their threatened economic interests by embarking on a lobbying battle in Brussels.

To address this growing wave of initiatives aimed at getting rid of feed-in tariffs within the EU and defend citizen-led renewable energy initiatives, Cooperatives Europe appointed an energy advocacy officer this year.

It has also teamed up with REScoop.EU, a three-year project funded by the EU, which brings together renewable energy co-operatives from across Europe. REScoop includes 12 organisations from 17 countries, all aiming to contribute towards reaching the share of the EU’s energy consumption produced from renewables to 20 per cent by 2020.

Out of REScoop, the European Federation for Renewable Energy Cooperatives has formed and in September it became an associate member of Cooperatives Europe. 

Through the project, European renewable energy co-operatives can share ideas and experiences, while contributing to REScoop’s database. REScoop is working on developing an inventory on existing renewable energy co-operatives while testing methodologies based on best practices.