Author: Allison Le Corre, communications manager of EU Covenant of Mayors initiative, a EUSEW partner organisation

As Europe once again faces the risk of another energy crisis triggered by global geopolitical tensions, the question of energy independence has taken centre stage. As a response, the call for homegrown renewables is growing louder. Yet homegrown energy is strongest when firmly rooted in the places we call home. This makes local governments and communities amongst the best placed to deliver it.

The recent war in the Middle East has once again disrupted global energy supply. And Europe is feeling it. In just 44 days, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that “our bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by over EUR 22 billion.”

With oil and gas prices climbing, looming over Europeans’ energy bills, the path forward is clear: energy independence anchored in “homegrown renewables”.

Local governments are essential to this shift. By tapping local resources, they can expand renewable production while keeping benefits within communities, ensuring stable supply and prices. Across Europe, Covenant of Mayors signatories – committed to local climate and energy action – are showcasing how municipal leadership is making energy systems more reliable, affordable and resilient.

Community energy: homegrown at its core

One of the most powerful ways is through community energy projects. Here, citizens, municipalities and local businesses produce, co-own and manage renewable energy together.

Recognised in the Commission’s Citizen Energy Package, over 8,000 such communities already exist, with the potential to scale tenfold by 2030 and supply 25 to 30 million households.

Municipalities play a key enabling role: from facilitating partnerships and offering support, to providing public space, purchasing local energy, or even joining projects themselves.

For instance, the city of Valencia, Spain, through its network of local energy offices and sustained outreach and support, has helped create ten citizen-led energy communities since 2020 – three of which are already operational, engaging over 250 members. Each community owns and manages its own solar energy system, allowing participants to access locally generated energy and save around €120 annually on energy bills.

In 2021, a citizen energy initiative was launched in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with support from the Gran Canaria Energy Council – a public entity under the island regional government. Backed by the municipality’s energy and climate strategy, the council provided technical, regulatory, and operational support to the community. The installation is now complete, and members expect a reduction of 40 to 60% in their electricity bills.

From urban to rural

Community energy is not limited to cities. In Ispaster, a small Basque municipality, local authorities supported the creation of an energy community by mapping roofs, handling administration, providing a technician, and eventually joining as a member. Today it counts over 30 members and multiple shared solar installations, with plans to expand into storage and heating. Electricity bills for members have gone down 35%.

Here, provincial and regional governments play a key role. In Badajoz province on the Spanish border with Portugal, a Community Transformation Office was launched to support energy communities in rural municipalities facing demographic challenges, leading to 19 municipalities currently developing community energy projects.

Delivering local benefits

When thoughtfully carried out by the municipality, these initiatives can deliver tangible social benefits across communities.

In Mechelen, Belgium, for instance, a partnership between the city, a citizen energy cooperative and a social housing company led to the installation of nearly 1,800 solar panels across 200 social housing units – giving energy poor households access to affordable renewable energy under stable, long-term pricing.

In Siena, Italy, a new energy community aims to channel revenues into support for low-income households and the creation of a “Green District”, fuelling local green jobs and the city’s carbon neutrality strategy.

In Getafe, Spain, strong municipal support has enabled a more social approach to community energy. Public solar installations are shared through the energy community to directly benefit vulnerable households, with at least 30% of participating households coming from vulnerable groups and taking part as active members in decision-making.

Beyond community energy

Yet, while EU law grants all citizens the right to form or join an energy community, its implementation varies across Member States. In many cases, despite strong local interest, legal, financial and technical hurdles still hinder the creation of energy communities, leaving much of their potential untapped.

Even so, municipalities have multiple ways to advance local and clean energy generation, with tools such as one-stop-shops, procurement, flexibility schemes, digital forecasting, demand reduction, and microgrids – among others. Emerging energy communities can currently access support through the European Energy Communities Facility, which provides €45,000 and technical assistance to develop a business plan.

Valencia, for example, integrates social criteria into energy procurement, while Ispaster operates a hybrid microgrid supplying public buildings and households with renewable heat and electricity.

Check out the EU Covenant of Mayor’s Homegrown Energy stories to discover all the ways in which local governments are reinforcing Europe’s energy independence.

This opinion editorial is produced in co-operation with the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) – the biggest annual event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe. #EUSEW2026 marks the 20th edition and will once again bring together the community of people who care about building a secure and clean energy future for the next generations.

Disclaimer: This article is a contribution from a partner. All rights reserved.

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of the information in the article. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission’s official position.

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