The public consultation process on the project on the establishment of energy communities ended a few days ago, and the observations received will be integrated into the final form of the normative act, which will be initiated in the next period in the Government, announced on Tuesday the Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja.

“In the past months, I was telling you about one of the initiatives that I consider a priority in the current legislature of the Romanian Parliament, in the energy area, namely the promotion of a normative framework that would facilitate the establishment of energy communities. Since the spring of last year, we have set up a working group dedicated precisely to the preparation of this initiative, and now we are approaching the final moment – the adoption of the normative act. (…) In the recent period, we have taken important steps to make these energy communities a reality. In the past few days, the public consultation process on the normative act that we prepared ended, after it was made transparent in the last part of January. During this period, we received very useful observations, which we will try to integrate as best as possible into the final form of the regulatory act, which we will initiate in the next period in the Government,” Sebastian Burduja wrote on his Facebook page.

He explained that these energy communities are based on open and voluntary participation. They are autonomous and effectively controlled by shareholders or members who are located near the renewable energy projects owned and developed by that community. Shareholders or members can be individuals, SMEs or local authorities, including municipalities. The main goal is to provide environmental, economic or social benefits for its shareholders or members or for the local areas in which they operate.

According to the minister, the emergence of energy communities “will produce a small revolution”, because it will mean a significant – in some cases, even huge – decrease in energy costs for tenant associations, public authorities and economic agents that will become energy producers.

“There are already pilot projects underway now that confirm how necessary the development of energy communities is. We are talking especially about energy for self-consumption – which translates into a high energy autonomy of these communities, less pressure on the National Energy System and, last but not least, the possibility for these communities to attract funds by selling the surplus and distributing the profit obtained among members. I encourage those interested to analyze the benefits that the establishment of these communities can bring, to propose debates in tenants’ associations or, where appropriate, associations between small companies or between public institutions. Huge opportunities will open up. Now I am thinking especially, but not exclusively, of the situation in big cities, where energy consumption is the highest and where the development of energy communities will bring positive changes on many levels: from cleaner air for all, to the financial comfort of each participant in such a community,” emphasized Sebastian Burduja.