Municipalities can play an important role in the energy transition.
They often serve as a first point of contact for citizens wanting to embark on energy projects, including renewable generation, building renovation or involvement in climate dialogues.
For this purpose, they can set up energy offices or be directly involved in shaping up Energy Communities.
As public actors in partnerships, they provide legitimacy, planning power, access to public buildings, data, and networks.
Understand your role and context
EU legislation and policy frameworks recognise municipalities as key actors in enabling citizen-led energy initiatives, energy communities, and local energy transitions. While municipalities may not always lead projects directly, they can create favourable conditions by reducing barriers, providing access to assets, coordinating stakeholders, and supporting inclusive participation. Municipalities can support citizen energy either through:
- Direct involvement: These strategies involve tangible, hands-on actions and collaborations. Examples include joint financial investments with local energy projects, co-ownership of energy infrastructure, jointly operated energy utilities, and energy leasing arrangements.
- Indirect involvement: These strategies focus on creating an environment where rural energy communities can grow and thrive. This encompasses the establishment of favourable legal and policy frameworks, allocating finances and resources, and enhancing community engagement through improved communication mechanisms.
A great place to start would be to host a CEAH Citizen Energy Panel, in order to engage local citizens in discussions on local energy action plans and implementation of new citizen energy projects. We will be there to support you across the whole journey.
Get practical guidance
- The EU Covenant of Mayors offers a large network of local governments acting on climate change. They offer practical Climate & Energy Planning Guidance on topics such as ‘How to develop a risk and vulnerability assessment’, and ‘How to plan mitigation, adaptation, and energy poverty actions’. They offer further resources and tools for climate action planning, inspiration, stakeholder engagement, communication toolkits, and funding opportunities.
- You can find science-based research and publications at the Joint Research Centre’s page on citizens’ communities and protection. This can provide an evidence base for local policy and strategic decisions.
- You can also check out the model assessment tool developed by REScoop to measure energy community potential in your locality. This practical tool allows you to assess the viability of your energy community in the concept phase. Read can also read this Community Energy Municipal Guide for more information on how to kickstart citizen energy projects and support throughout the process.
Meet Marco: A municipality leader implementing a local energy action plan
- Who Marco is: A municipal leader responsible for energy and climate action at local level
- His situation: Works in a municipality that has committed to a local energy or climate action plan and wants to increase renewable energy uptake among households
- What he’s trying to figure out: How to turn local plans into concrete citizen energy actions that deliver results on the ground
- What makes it difficult: Limited staff and resources, complex regulatory and funding frameworks, and the need to ensure vulnerable households are not left behind
- In his words: “We have a local energy plan, but we need practical ways to expand renewables and support households who are most at risk.”
Marco asks:
How can we increase renewable energy uptake for households locally?
- Municipalities can act as facilitators and information hubs, promoting opportunities for households to join energy communities and adopt renewable solutions. Providing clear local information, hosting workshops, or setting up an energy desk or one-stop shop helps residents understand options such as rooftop solar, community renewables, or energy efficiency.
- Local authorities can support household participation in community renewables by making municipal land and buildings available for installations, simplifying permitting processes, and aligning local planning and zoning with renewable and retrofit priorities.
- Partnering with local intermediaries, NGOs, or regional energy agencies enhances outreach and uptake; these partnerships can help households navigate funding, qualify for incentives, and find trusted contractors for installations and upgrades. This also helps to reduce the burden on Marco’s municipal staff. Check out this map of energy agencies that you can contact for your country.
How can we ensure vulnerable households benefit from community energy projects?
- Municipalities can proactively diagnose and address energy poverty by collecting local data and identifying vulnerable households. This enables targeted programmes such as subsidised energy renovations, tailored renewable support, or integration into community energy schemes that lower energy bills for those most in need.
- Local authorities can embed support for vulnerable households into broader energy action plans through partnerships with energy communities, civil society, and social services.
- Municipal support structures such as energy advice services or home energy advisory programmes can focus on reaching vulnerable households with tailored information, free audits, and guidance on accessing funds and incentives.
- For inspiration, and to see how cities have achieved success through citizen engagement, check out these community stories.
How can we access support to implement these actions?
- Municipalities can apply for CEAH Technical Assistance, in which they receive hands-on expert support in designing and implementing local community energy strategies tailored to your needs, while integrating citizen voices to increase social acceptance of renewable energy installations.
- Tools such as the European City Facility provide municipalities with structured support to develop investment concepts that align renewable energy, citizen participation, and social goals, helping attract financing and prepare high-quality project proposals.
- Learn from peers by joining broader networks such as the Covenant of Mayors, where you can gain knowledge through case studies and get technical templates to implement energy actions, including tackling energy poverty and boosting renewable uptake for households. Funding opportunities are also centralised here. Through its newly launched homegrown energy initiative, the Covenant of Mayors is mobilising local leaders to scale community energy whilst keeping benefits local. Find out more