Friends of the Earth Malta launched a new report ‘People Power Up – Renewable Energy Communities in Malta’, focused on community energy. Renewable energy communities are community organisations in which households and families, but also SMEs and local authorities, can co-own and implement renewable energy projects. A community energy project can give an opportunity to people who do not have access to rooftops, or who are at risk of energy poverty, to collectively invest in renewable energy. For example, local residents can invest together in solar panels on a public building such as a school and benefit from the energy generated, either directly or through revenue from the feed-in tariff. Energy communities are democratically controlled and transparent organisations, for example a cooperative or social enterprise.

The report (available online here) was launched in the presence of over 40 stakeholders from government, academia and civil society on Thursday 27 February at Dar L-Ewropa in Valletta. During the launch, Community Energy Researcher Samuel Muscat from Friends of the Earth Malta presented an overview of the findings. The report highlights the barriers and potential of community energy in Malta and gives a step-by-step guide for how to set up a renewable energy community in Malta. It also provides a clear set of recommendations for policy makers on how to promote Renewable Energy Communities locally.

Malta is one of the few EU member states with increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The vast majority of our energy still comes from fossil fuels, which contribute to the climate crisis. Only 15% of our electricity comes from renewable sources – one of the lowest shares in the EU.

FoEM’s Climate Campaign Coordinator Dr Suzanne Maas, co-author of the report, stressed that “Malta is one of the few EU member states where Renewable Energy Communities are not yet a reality. We should promote them, as they are a great way to increase the share of renewables and involve people in the green energy transition!“.

During the launch event, invited guest speaker Chris Vrettos, Financing Policy Officer at REScoop.eu, the European Federation of Energy Communities, shared information on how EU funds can support energy communities.

“Energy communities help build local energy security – a topic that’s especially important in Malta. For every euro invested, they generate 2 to 8 euros for the local economy. Malta should thus create an enabling framework to trigger their growth, supported by EU funding“, he explained.

Community energy is being promoted EU wide, via the Renewable Energy Directive, which every member state should transpose into national law. Malta has done so, but has not taken any further action to enable and incentivize renewable energy communities to be set up in Malta. With over 300 sunny days per year, the potential is there. Now we need action, to enable people to power up with renewable energy.

The report and the research behind it are funded by the Malta Environment Foundation.