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Energy Community Insights: Romania's National Coalition
The Life COMET project aims to transform the community energy landscape in Central and Eastern Europe through assessment, experience sharing, and coalition building. Our series of blog posts “Energy Community Insights: A Tour of Central & Eastern Europe” explores the emergence and growth of national coalitions of energy communities in Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia.
This blog post introduces Romania’s national coalition of energy communities, offering an overview of the coalition’s emerging activities and a behind-the-scenes perspective from one of its founding members, Camelia Sava, Project Manager at Cooperativa de Energie.
Romania’s Emerging Coalition for Community Energy
Romania’s national coalition of energy communities is currently in its early stages, but it is quickly gaining traction as a vital initiative to support a just and inclusive energy transition. Set as an association, the coalition brings together civil society actors with the goal of enabling citizen-led renewable energy projects and shaping a supportive policy environment for community energy across the country.
The coalition’s core activities focus on policy recommendations, encouraging the establishment of new energy communities, and providing a communication network for information transfer. By organizing workshops, educational events, and providing direct counseling, it aims to build capacity among municipalities and local actors, empowering them to create and manage their own energy communities.
A key element of the coalition’s mission is addressing energy poverty, ensuring that the benefits of community energy are accessible to all, particularly vulnerable populations.
Policy work is a central pillar of the coalition’s efforts. Members have already contributed feedback to the Ministry of Energy on draft energy community legislation, as well as submitted a proposal—alongside Rescoop.eu and Greenpeace Romania—to redirect unspent Just Transition Program funds toward community energy initiatives. These early actions signal the coalition’s intention to influence and improve the legal and financial framework for energy communities in Romania.
To expand its reach and maintain momentum, the coalition has developed a dedicated website led by Cooperativa de Energie. This platform will serve as a communication hub, offering resources, updates, and opportunities for new communities to join.
The long-term vision of Romania’s coalition is to foster an empowered network of energy communities that can drive local renewable energy projects, share knowledge, and influence national policy. Through inclusive governance, continuous education, and stakeholder engagement, the coalition aims to provide a platform for collaboration, ensuring that energy communities across Romania can share best practices, access resources, and support one another in their development. The coalition already has established a monthly meeting with its members, and is in the process of expanding its network.
A Conversation with Camelia Sava: Building a Community-Driven Energy Future
Camelia Sava, Project Manager at Cooperativa de Energie and one of the founding members of Romania’s Community Energy Coalition, shared her reflections on the coalition’s formation, challenges, and long-term goals:
Can you tell us about your role in the coalition?
"My name is Camelia Sava, and I’m Project Manager at Cooperativa de Energie, one of the founding members of the Coalition. At Cooperativa de Energie, we are driven by the belief that local communities must play a central role in the transition to renewable energy. Being part of the Community Energy Coalition allows us to collaborate, share knowledge, and strengthen our impact. By joining forces, we can more effectively influence legislation, secure resources, and support local energy projects that promote sustainability and energy autonomy. Together, we aim to remove barriers and create a more inclusive, community-driven energy future for Romania."
What challenges did you face in setting up the coalition?
"We encountered several challenges during the formation of the Community Energy Coalition, both bureaucratic and structural. One significant hurdle was the bureaucratic delays in finalizing the legal incorporation of the coalition. Although the act of incorporation was drafted early, we had to wait for the General Assembly decision from one of the founding members to confirm their participation. Altogether, this bureaucratic process took longer than expected, delaying our ability to officially invite other entities to join the coalition.
Additionally, as a group, we faced challenges in aligning the diverse interests and priorities of the founding members. Each member brought a different perspective to the table, so it took time to develop a unified vision and strategy for the coalition.
Another challenge was navigating Romania’s complex legislative landscape for energy communities. Barriers like licensing requirements and distribution fees complicate project development. Although we actively advocate for reform, the slow pace of legislative changes adds to our difficulties."
What is your long-term vision for the coalition?
"We believe the formation of the Coalition is an important step toward overcoming these barriers and promoting energy autonomy at the community level. The Community Energy Coalition is dedicated to promoting and supporting the growth of energy communities across Romania. Our primary goal is to empower local communities to become active participants in the renewable energy transition. By providing access to resources, expertise, and networks, we help communities develop their own green energy projects, ultimately achieving energy autonomy.
Our activities include advocating for legislative reforms to remove barriers to community energy development, such as simplifying licensing requirements and ensuring communities can benefit from funding programs. We also work on knowledge sharing, organizing workshops, combating energy poverty, and facilitating collaboration between various stakeholders, including local governments, NGOs, and private entities.
Looking ahead, we envision the coalition as a driving force for widespread energy democracy in Romania, where communities have greater control over their energy production and consumption.
We aim to foster a national network of energy communities, leading to a decentralized energy system that prioritizes sustainability, local engagement, and economic resilience.
Our main achievement would be a more inclusive legislative framework that supports energy sharing and reduces financial and regulatory barriers. By doing this, we hope to create a scalable model that can be replicated across the country, ensuring that local communities play a pivotal role in the green energy transition. Through the coalition, we aspire to build a future where energy is more accessible, sustainable, and community driven."
By uniting key organizations, addressing legal and bureaucratic hurdles, and supporting local initiatives, Romania’s Community Energy Coalition is taking tangible steps to make community-led renewable energy a reality. Its work is helping to create the conditions for more local projects, fairer regulations, and greater citizen involvement in the energy transition.
