Identification of best practices in community energy: the case of Efiduero

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The head of the Galicia Wind Observatory visited a community energy development initiative in the cross-border region spanning Zamora and Salamanca in Spain, as well as Trás-os-Montes and Beira Interior Norte in Portugal. These territories, united by the Duero/Douro River, are part of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) Duero-Douro.

In 2017, this public entity established Efiduero, a European Cooperative Society, to launch management and investment initiatives aimed at promoting regional development through renewable energy. In 2021, they created a Citizen Energy Community, which immediately became an energy supplier in the Iberian market.

Efiduero’s model has enabled the development of 150 photovoltaic installations, with an additional 80 under construction, bringing the total capacity to over 3.4 MW. The cooperative sells energy to its members at cost price and allows them to share surplus energy, regardless of the distance between the consumption point and the production site.

Municipalities are the cornerstone of Efiduero. During the visit, the mayors of Almaraz de Duero and Villaseco del Pan, José Martín and Felipe Cuesta, explained that their town councils, following the required reports from the Secretariat and Treasury departments, had decided to grant Efiduero free use of the rooftops of public buildings. In return, they receive a significant share of the electricity they consume. Participation in Efiduero’s capital requires a contribution of just €25. In addition to these municipalities, the delegation also visited various projects in Fermoselle, a town located at the heart of the border region (called, A Raia).

José Luis Pascual, Director General of the EGTC Duero-Douro, highlighted that “this region has been a land of sacrifice. For decades, large corporations have exploited our resources to fuel production elsewhere, at the expense of our quality of life and development. Our villages have emptied, and the local economy has been abandoned. With Efiduero, we are proving that an energy transition can benefit the territory. We believe in energy for the people—our rural communities control the energy.”

Another key Efiduero initiative is its network of electric vehicle charging stations. Today, Zamora, Salamanca, Trás-os-Montes, and Beira Interior Norte host the largest network of rural EV chargers in the Iberian Peninsula.

This working visit to the cross-border region was organized by the parliamentary group of the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG). Among the delegation was Ánxela Fernández Callís, the mayor of O Rosal, whose municipality is part of the EC4RURAL project.