Community Energy: Change energy so climate does not change

• by OEGA
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Taking advantage of the Rainbow Warrior’s visit to Vilagarcía during the “On the Climate” campaign, The Galician Wind Observatory participated in the event organized by Greenpeace at this coastal town. The environmental organization set up a roundtable discussion on the Presentation of Citizen Energy Alternatives against Climate Change. This roundtable presented very interesting initiatives for energy transition with a common element: the citizen as the protagonist. Four types of initiatives were presented: groups of citizens producing energy for self-consumption; direct purchase and the sale of green electricity among citizens and small renewable energy facilities without intermediaries; financing renewable energy production; and the final management of distributed demand, i.e. groups of citizens who decide to change consumption times to highlight the need to use conventional power plants.
Throughout the morning, several experiences were shared. Among them, the following are noteworthy. NOSAENERGÍA is an example of an energy community that buys renewable energy collectively. About 600 participants take part in this initiative. COOPERNICO is a renewable energy production cooperative comprised by 20 women. ENERGETICACOOP is a Valencian cooperative for the production and self-consumption of renewable electricity.
Throughout the afternoon, the Citizen Energy Innovation Café focused on women, energy poverty and cities. Participants constructed speeches that allowed for energy change without climate change … at such a fast pace. Pursuing the idea of democratizing energy, we devised strategies around a desirable future and defined the steps required to reach this ideal future. We focused on the changes in citizen behavior that must happen today and reflected on the main challenges faced by citizens in this change process, transitioning from the fossil energy model to the renewable energy model.
The campaign developed by Greenpeace at a global scale may be followed on its website: https://es.greenpeace.org/en/en-profundidad/cambia-la-energia-no-el-clima/