Panel - Energy Poverty, Renewable Energy Communities, and Emerging Models of Energy Access

Panel Coordinator: Energy Systems Development Department, Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, Milan
Introduce and Moderate: Debora Cilio – Energy Systems Development Department, Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, Milan

In a global context increasingly shaped by the need for energy security, counterbalanced by growing awareness of the environmental and climate impacts of ever more intensive energy use, the need for accessible and sustainable energy has become one of the most challenging social objectives.

For instance, as early as the Abu Dhabi Declaration (2012) – drafted as part of the UN’s “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative – it was recognized that “universal access to energy is a human right,” a statement that became one of the strategic goals (Goal 7) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015. This goal is closely linked to Goal 1 (end poverty) of the same document, as well as to Goals 10 (reduce inequality), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and 13 (climate action), especially within an interpretive framework that views energy poverty – defined as limited or unreliable access to modern, sustainable energy services – as a global problem.

While progress has been made, according to data from key international agencies (IEA, World Bank, IRENA), in 2023, approximately 675 million people worldwide, the majority in Sub-Saharan Africa, still lack access to electricity, and 2.3 billion people rely on fuels such as wood, coal, and agricultural residues for cooking, with significant repercussions on health and the environment.
At the European level, the Clean Energy Package – through EU directives 2018/2001 and 2019/944 – introduced the concept of renewable energy communities into Union law, directly linking it to the fight against energy poverty and the protection of “vulnerable customers.” The aim is to encourage Member States to develop concrete measures to ensure equitable energy access in line with decarbonization and social inclusion objectives.
These measures are fully integrated into the 2019 National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, which, in aiming to meet Europe’s 2030 goals, outlines specific actions to improve energy efficiency, increase the use of renewable sources, and “reduce the energy burden on vulnerable households.” This is to be achieved in part through the expansion of renewable energy communities, which focus on collective action and offer citizens the opportunity to become active participants in the production and distribution of renewable energy at the local level.

With this context in mind, the panel promotes a multidisciplinary exchange between researchers and scholars on the topic of energy poverty and the new tools and policies aimed at mitigating and combating it, with particular attention to renewable energy communities and new forms of energy collectivization.

Common Challenges in Electrification and Energy Transition
Federico Aleotti, Energy Systems Development Department, Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico, Milan

Energy Poverty and Renewable Energy Communities: Challenges and Opportunities for a Just Transition
Gabriella De Maio, University of Naples Federico II

Energy Poverty and Energy Prosumerism in Europe and Africa: Some Insights
Ivano Scotti, University of Naples Federico II

Renewable Energy Communities as a tool for social acceptance: what is working and what is not?
Alessandra Motz, Institute for Economic Research (IRE)

Introducing the next generation of managers to support social issues in sustainable investments through renewable energy communities
Nicola Sorrentino, University of Calabria

Company Insights

Energy communities and mini-grids for developed and emerging markets: benefits and challenges of local energy sharing models
Carlo Tacconelli, EnGreen

Renewable Energy Community: tools and opportunities for a sustainable transition
Fabio Armanasco, Kairoscope