Rural Energy Communities LV

The project Rural Energy Communities^LV – Catalysing and building capacities for renewable energy communities in rural Latvia aims to enhance the development of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), especially in rural areas of Latvia. It aims to facilitate dialogue, knowledge transfer and cooperation between policy makers and other relevant stakeholders in Schleswig-Holstein and Latvia. It also aims to strengthen networking and capacity development in Latvia. The project started on 1 January 2024 and will run for 21 months.

The main activities include a German-Latvian policy dialogue on the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II/RED III), in particular the provisions for energy communities, energy sharing and the role of the Citizens' Energy Fund in Schleswig-Holstein as a possible model for Latvia. Other priorities include a study visit by Latvian decision-makers and experts to Schleswig-Holstein, the compilation of relevant good practice examples, regional awareness-raising, networking and capacity development measures in the planning regions of Latvia, the establishment of regional task forces and ambassadors for energy communities as well as train-the-trainer workshops. In addition, the project aims to initiate the development of an energy community in a rural pilot community in Latvia (Sece).

Second German-Latvian Policy Dialogue ‘Energy Sharing for Rural Energy Communities’

As part of the Rural Energy Communities^LV project, the second Virtual Policy Dialogue will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2025 from 10:00-13:00 (Central European Summer Time). The online event is titled ‘Energy Sharing for Rural Energy Communities - Knowledge Exchange Between Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and Latvia’. The virtual policy dialogue addresses policy makers, public authorities, associations, citizen and community energy initiatives, as well as other interested market actors and stakeholders. The regional focus is on Germany - particularly Schleswig-Holstein - and Latvia. The conference language is English.

The following questions will be discussed at the event: What opportunities and challenges does energy sharing bring for Germany (especially Schleswig-Holstein) and Latvia? What can players in politics and administration, energy communities and other market players and stakeholders in both countries learn from each other and from the experiences of other European countries in the field of energy sharing?

Here you can find the agenda and the registration link.

Background: Pursuant to the revised Electricity Market Design Directive (EU)2024/1711, energy sharing operationalizes the collective consumption of self-generated or stored electricity injected into the public grid by more than one jointly acting active customer. Renewable energy communities and citizen energy communities are entitled to share electricity generated from facilities they have in full ownership with their members. In December 2024, the Latvian government adopted a regulation for the registration and operation of energy communities, including energy sharing, transposing the EU rules. In November 2024, the German ‘traffic light’ government drafted amendments to the Energy Industry Act, which included a section on energy sharing. However, the future regulatory framework for energy sharing in Germany remains unclear due to the collapse of the federal government. The Virtual Policy Dialogue will address questions including: What are key opportunities and challenges of energy sharing for Germany, particularly for the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, and Latvia? What can policy makers, community energy initiatives, and other market actors and stakeholders in Germany and Latvia learn from each other and from the experience of pioneering countries in this field? 

The Rural Energy Communities^LV project is funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). Further information on the project and the first virtual policy dialogue in June 2024 can be found below.

This compilation was prepared in the context of the project Rural Energy CommunitiesLV -Catalysing and building capacities for renewable energy communities in rural Latvia. It provides a brief overview on selected rural energy communities in Schleswig-Holstein that can provide orientation for similar initiatives in Latvia.

Here you can access the compilation.

As part of the Rural Energy Communities^LV project funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation, the virtual policy dialogue Enhancing Energy Communities in Rural Regions - Knowledge Exchange Between Schleswig-Holstein and Latvia took place on 26 June 2024.

The focus of the event was on the energy policy framework in Germany/Schleswig-Holstein and Latvia, the implementation of the relevant European regulations and their provisions for energy communities, the citizens' energy fund in Schleswig-Holstein, as well as issues of digitalization in the energy sector.

The agenda and a summary of the event with the key findings can be found in the files below. There is also a project factsheet with more information about Rural Energy Communities^LV. Also, you can find the presentations, that were presented.

Here you can access the agenda.

Here you will find a summary.

From October 8–11, 2024, Rural Energy CommunitiesLV hosted a visit from Latvian experts in Schleswig-Holstein, aiming for an exchange of information and experiences on citizen energy. The nine-member Latvian delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Climate and Energy, various government agencies, the Regulatory Commission, energy agencies, and SMEs. The visit was coordinated by the Heinrich Böll Foundation Schleswig-Holstein in close collaboration with its partner, the Latvian Rural Forum.

A follow-up virtual policy dialogue on energy sharing is planned for spring 2025, and a return visit of German experts to Latvia is scheduled for early summer 2025.

Here you access the summary.

Second German-Latvian Policy Dialogue ‘Energy Sharing for Rural Energy Communities’

Second German-Latvian Policy Dialogue ‘Energy Sharing for Rural Energy Communities’  will take place on Wednesday, 2 April 2025 from 10:00-13:00. Here you will get more information and the access to the registration.