The Smart Rural 27 project launched its 1st Knowledge Cluster focused on Renewable Energy in February 2023. Since then, the cluster has been hosting online and face-to-face meetings, engaging over 20 active local rural community members and other interested stakeholders. Members of the cluster expressed their interest to learn more about the legal environment of implementing renewable energy communities at the local level as part of their smart village strategies .

The 3rd session of the Renewable Energy Knowledge Cluster will take place online on 12 September 2023 at 10:00 (CET) and will focus on the ‘Overview of the Current Implementation of Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II in Individual European Countries.’ It aims to bring together the knowledge of various projects and initiatives on the possibilities of setting up renewable energy communities locally.

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The session will be kicked off by the presentation of Andreas Türk, Renewable Energy Expert and Senior Researcher at Joanneum Research / Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (University of Graz) on the progress of European countries in implementing the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion on the outcomes of various projects and initiatives on the same theme, with a focus on how local rural communities might benefit from RED II when planning renewable energy communities & smart renewable energy projects.

Additionally, we are pleased to welcome James Roscoe, who will join us to delve into the experiences of the Rural Energy Community Advisory Hub (RECAH). During his presentation, we will delve into Rural Energy Community Advisory Hub (RECAH) experiences, where we’ll explore their unique approach to supporting communities, selection criteria, the diverse support methods employed, invaluable lessons learned, and compelling case studies showcasing technical assistance in varying policy environments.

The presentations will be followed by a discussion on how various Member States’ conditions might impact on REC development on rural areas across Europe.