Coalitions
National Community Energy Coalitions in Europe
Across Europe, energy communities are playing an increasingly important role in accelerating the energy transition, strengthening local resilience, and promoting citizen participation. Yet despite growing political recognition, many community-led initiatives continue to face similar challenges: complex administrative procedures, limited access to grids and financing, fragmented support structures, and insufficient integration into national energy planning.
National community energy coalitions have emerged as a key response to these challenges. Acting as intermediaries between grassroots initiatives and institutional actors, these coalitions help coordinate communities, provide technical and legal support, and translate practical experience into policy dialogue. They strengthen collective capacity, reduce risk, and enable energy communities to move from isolated projects toward a more systemic impact.
Through the Life COMET project, national coalitions have been supported and strengthened in 7 European countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Together, they illustrate how different national contexts can converge around shared challenges and shared solutions. While their legal frameworks, market conditions, and levels of maturity differ, the coalitions presented here demonstrate common approaches to risk mitigation, capacity-building, policy engagement, and long-term adaptation.
This page showcases the national coalitions developed or reinforced through Life COMET, highlighting their roles, priorities, and roadmaps. More details about the coalitions supported are also available in our project Resources.
Croatia
Forum of Energy Communities: Croatia’s national coalition of energy communities
The Forum of Energy Communities in Croatia is the national coalition representing the country’s growing network of energy communities and their supporters. It was established to transform fragmented citizen initiatives into structured, operational projects that can influence policy and support practical implementation. Initiated and coordinated by energy and development agencies, cooperatives, NGOs, and technical experts, the Forum builds on pilot projects across ten municipalities and addresses regulatory, administrative, and financial barriers that prevent citizens and local actors from creating viable energy communities or shared energy schemes.
Read more about the Forum’s creation in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Croatia's National Coalition
What does the coalition focus on?
The Forum is practice-oriented, translating real-world challenges into actionable solutions. It provides legal, technical, and strategic guidance, facilitates knowledge exchange through workshops and shared resources, and promotes replicable business models. The coalition raises public awareness through media coverage, storytelling, online engagement, educational content, and events, while also feeding insights into policy discussions and supporting pilot projects on the ground.
The Forum’s roadmap
- Short term (by 2025): consolidate strategic partnerships, establish the first-level Community Energy Service Points (CESPs), and increase public awareness of energy communities.
- Midterm (by 2026): secure institutional support for energy communities, expand pilot projects, and develop a coalition sustainability plan.
- Long term (by 2030): ensure 10% of new renewable energy capacity is citizen/community-owned, and position Croatia as a regional model for participatory energy transition.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting zajedno@zez.coop.
Estonia
Estonian Community Energy Roundtable: Estonia’s national coalition
The Estonian Community Energy Roundtable is Estonia’s emerging national coalition on community energy. While the concept is still relatively new in the country, it is gaining traction as Estonia transitions toward a decentralized and renewable energy system. The coalition brings together the Estonian Ministry of Climate, the electricity DSO Elektrilevi, the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities, the Estonian Fund for Nature, regional energy agencies, universities, cooperatives, and legal and energy experts. Alongside the broader roundtable (50–100 participants meeting several times a year), a smaller active working group coordinates concrete tasks. The coalition aims to act as a regulatory powerhouse and a recognized national reference point for community energy expertise.
Read more about the Roundtable in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Estonia's National Coalition
What does the coalition focus on?
Community energy in Estonia is developing in a context of growing interest but limited regulatory clarity and practical know-how. Although energy communities are referenced in national strategies such as the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), implementation frameworks remain incomplete. The coalition works to cultivate a diverse stakeholder base (municipalities, housing associations, SMEs, NGOs, and citizens) and acts as an “energy translator,” simplifying regulatory and technical concepts into practical guidance, disseminating best practices from pilot initiatives in Tartu, Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, and Tori, and fostering dialogue between unlikely partners.
The Roundtable’s roadmap
- Short term (by 2025): support regulatory and policy changes, activate local governments, and develop at least one working business model.
- Mid term (by 2026): improve energy-sharing regulations, support housing associations and municipalities, and secure concrete regulatory progress.
- Long term (by 2030): embed the coalition into national policy, establish sustainable financing and legal structures, and become Estonia’s official reference point for community energy.
For more information about the coalition, contact Joosep Veerme.
Greece
Desmi: Greece’s national coalition of energy communities
Desmi is Greece’s national coalition of energy communities, established as a legally registered association to give structure, voice, and representation to the country’s growing community energy movement. Desmi brings together active energy communities alongside NGOs, consumer organisations, academic labs, technical institutes, and energy experts. Its creation responds to a shared need to move from fragmented grassroots initiatives toward a coordinated force capable of policy improvements and supporting implementation on the ground.
Read more about Desmi’s creation in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Greece's National Coalition
What does the coalition focus on?
Desmi is rooted in practice. Most Greek energy communities work on collective self-consumption projects, but face persistent technical, administrative, and financial barriers. The coalition acts as an intermediary between communities and institutions, providing legal and technical guidance, facilitating dialogue with public authorities and DSOs, and translating field experience into structured policy input. Its work includes policy engagement, capacity-building, knowledge exchange, outreach, and the promotion of equity in access to energy.
Desmi’s roadmap
- Short term (by 2025): consolidate its role as a support and policy platform by strengthening advisory services, increasing public visibility, and ensuring energy communities’ representation in key national processes such as the NECP revision and the Social Climate Plan.
- Mid term (by 2026): formalise its position as a strategic partner in policy implementation, expand the national Community Energy Service Point, and launch technical cooperation pilots with DSOs on grid integration and demand response.
- Long term (by 2030): position energy communities as full energy actors, engaged in flexibility, storage, and energy services, while ensuring Desmi’s long-term sustainability through hybrid financing and institutional integration.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting union@desmi.info or via the website contact form.
Hungary
Community Energy Coalition in Hungary
The Hungarian Community Energy Coalition was initiated by the Solidarity Economy Centre (SEC) to bring together NGOs and key actors active in Hungary’s community energy sector. It unites expertise and practical experience to create a coordinated platform capable of supporting initiatives on the ground, strengthening visibility, and contributing to policy development. The coalition focuses on energy poverty, PV systems and energy efficiency in multi-apartment buildings, community district heating, community energy production beyond PV, electricity sharing, and awareness of subsidized energy utility prices.
Read more about it in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Hungary's National Coalition
What does the coalition focus on?
The coalition acts as an informal expert platform, translating professional knowledge into tangible outcomes. Its goal is to support the government in creating a legislative and institutional framework that allows energy communities to develop. This includes tangible initiatives such as rooftop solar funds, community energy efficiency projects, and district heating cooperation. While currently composed mainly of NGOs, the coalition aims to involve municipalities, service providers, and authorities to strengthen practical knowledge and foster recognition of community energy initiatives.
The coalition closely supports the newly founded Alliance of Energy Communities Hungary, a federation of registered ECs aiming to boost advocacy and knowledge sharing.
The Hungarian coalition’s roadmap
- Short term (by 2025): establish operational routines, conduct internal training and workshops, review key policy papers, and launch a pilot National Service Point.
- Mid term (by 2026): strengthen links with the Ministry of Energy, maintain stable cooperation with local initiatives, and continuously improve the National Service Point.
- Long term (by 2030): become a cohesive, multi-stakeholder expert platform and one of the main references for Hungarian community energy initiatives; ensure National Service Points act as one-stop shops; provide ongoing professional guidance for legislation and regulatory frameworks.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting Márton Fabók.
Poland
SERC Alliance: Poland’s national coalition of energy cooperatives
The Auditing Alliance of Energy, Developmental, and Digital Cooperatives (SERC Alliance) is Poland’s national coalition of energy cooperatives, legally registered to provide structure, voice, and support to the country’s emerging citizen-led energy movement. Initiated by cooperative practitioners, legal experts, and municipal actors, it brings together operational cooperatives, municipalities, platform cooperatives, and civil society organizations. SERC Alliance was created to respond to fragmented grassroots initiatives and to build a coordinated platform capable of supporting cooperatives, professionalising governance, and contributing to policy development.
Read more about it in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Poland's National Coalition
What does the coalition focus on?
SERC Alliance is rooted in practice. Polish energy cooperatives face technical, legal, and operational barriers; such as territorial restrictions, incomplete RED II transposition, limited grid access, and lack of tailored support mechanisms. The coalition acts as an intermediary between communities and public authorities, providing legal guidance, training, auditing, and digital tools, while translating field experience into structured policy input. Its work includes policy recommendations, knowledge exchange, capacity-building, and the promotion of trust and professional standards across the cooperative ecosystem.
SERC Alliance’s roadmap
- Short term (by end of 2025): establish the Alliance’s legal and operational foundation, build strategic alliances with cooperatives and municipalities, and launch advisory, training, and auditing services.
- Mid term (by end of 2026): expand national reach through regional Community Energy Support Points, implement standardized tools for benchmarking and peer learning, and strengthen the coalition’s strategic role in policy dialogues.
- Long term (by 2030): position SERC Alliance as a benchmark institution for energy democracy in Poland, support 150+ cooperatives across all regions, operate a national digital platform, and ensure sustainability through hybrid financing, institutional integration, and professionalization of services.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting Magda Domanska.
Romania
Coaliția Energie Comunitară (CEC): Romania’s national coalition for community energy
Coaliția Energie Comunitară is a national collaborative coalition supporting Romania’s transition to a sustainable, democratic, and citizen-centered energy system. Bringing together NGOs, public institutions, local authorities, companies, academic bodies, and civic initiatives, it promotes the development of local energy communities and contributes to shaping the national framework through legal recommendations and policy dialogue on RED III transposition and secondary legislation.
What does the coalition focus on?
Given the uncertain legislative background and consequently, the lack of established energy communities, CEC focuses on improving access to information, supporting community-led initiatives, and promoting affordable and replicable self-consumption models, particularly rooftop solar installations on multi-family residential buildings. It provides guidance to municipalities and citizens and works to ensure that energy justice remains central to the transition.
Read more about it in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Romania's National Coalition
CEC’s roadmap
- Short term (by end of 2025): promote the interests of energy communities, strengthen the member network, organize educational activities at municipal level, and advocate for improved primary and secondary legislation.
- Mid term (by end of 2026): expand the coalition and energy community network, continue education and capacity-building efforts, develop pilot models, and pursue improvements to the legislative and financial framework.
- Long term (by 2030): drive a sustainable and inclusive energy transition by building a national network of energy communities, developing tailored business models and financing partnerships, supporting at least five new energy communities, and working towards 5% of newly installed renewable capacity being citizen- or community-owned.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting Camelia Sava.
Slovenia
Network for Energy Communities: Slovenia’s national coalition for energy communities
The Network for Energy Communities was established to bring together active supporters of energy communities and strengthen their efforts towards an environmentally sustainable energy future, guided by social justice and democratic decision-making. It brings together energy cooperatives, local energy agencies, municipalities, NGOs, renewable energy companies, research institutions and individuals engaged in a just energy transition. By combining practical project experience with policy, technical and legal expertise, the Network promotes energy communities, strengthens capacities through knowledge sharing, and engages in dialogue with policymakers to improve the support framework.
Read more about it in our Blog post Energy Community Insights: Slovenia's National Coalition.
What does the coalition focus on?
Energy communities in Slovenia remain at an early stage of development due to an unclear regulatory framework, undeveloped business models, and low public awareness. The Network works to remove barriers to collective self-consumption, develop and test new sustainable business models, improve the legislative and support environment, and support municipalities and grassroots initiatives in setting up their own projects. Through networking, education, promotion and policy dialogue, it seeks to overcome fragmentation and counter barriers such as regulatory constraints, limited grid access, and resistance from large energy companies.
The Network’s roadmap
- Short term (by end of 2025): improve legislative conditions for community self-consumption, increase engagement and membership, and start developing new business models.
- Mid term (by end of 2026): remove key barriers in the regulatory and support framework, strengthen the Network’s long-term viability, develop and test at least two new energy community models, and operationalise the Service Point for energy communities.
- Long term (by 2030): provide an enabling environment for energy communities, establish stable funding mechanisms and develop the Network into a dynamic central support point, and set up two or three practical pilots of new energy community models.
More information on the coalition's website or by contacting mreza@energetskeskupnosti.si.
