World

World

Greece tables electricity market bill with a "right to energy sharing", letting households, small businesses and municipalities share solar power produced at other buildings

Article 12 adds Article 137Γ to the electricity law; third parties may run schemes and own installations up to 6MW, and public bodies must make best efforts to direct on average at least 10% of shared power to vulnerable households

2026.11.02

World

Australia's Narrabri Shire Council says miner Whitehaven's solar farm offered 50,000 dollars against about 566,000 dollars under its 1% rule, and unanimously asks the state minister to explain

The solar project, with an estimated value of 56.6 million Australian dollars, was approved by the state government in September 2026; the council rejected the 50,000 dollar offer last May, and councillors say renewables and mining should face the same rules

2026.11.01

World

Only 27% of Spain's 837 energy communities are operating; government pushes urgent processing of an 'energy communities royal decree' before the 29 November election

Communities with fewer than 20 members are the largest group at 39.1%, and self-consumption can start up to two years after installation; a 5km sharing distance and self-consumption managers already apply, while support offices numbered 74 with 18.4 million euros in the first round

2026.11.01

World

Italian town of Monselice joins renewable energy community as a producer member, steering profits from solar on public roofs to energy-poor households' bills

Council-approved membership of the Montegrotto Terme 1 community will see power from future solar arrays on town buildings shared; local committees to help decide how benefits are spent, and a 30,000-euro foundation grant funds design and outreach this year

2026.11.01

World

Saint-Paul-lès-Dax in France's Landes builds 4.57MWc citizen solar plant on former waste storage site, with separate resident investment body CIER40

The commune, Enercoop Nouvelle-Aquitaine and others joined the project company, mixing loans, public capital and citizen participation in an investment of over 4 million euros; Landes leads French departments with 1,413MW of solar but has cut energy consumption by only 4.2%

2026.11.01

World

Murcia consumer cooperative La Solar to build four solar plants for its energy communities, sharing 293kW among about 400 households, 40 of them vulnerable

Plans unveiled to more than 350 members at its tenth-anniversary gathering; Puente Tocinos to break ground first in February, while an agrivoltaic plant over almond trees in Bullas is due by next November at the latest

2026.11.01

World

Colombian government's "energy communities" solar programme faces questions over panel quotes above market prices, with most projects under 50% complete and extensions to year-end requested

Seventeen contracts worth 914,000 million pesos signed with three state utilities in late 2025 for 60,221 panels serving 28,544 households; ministry and former vice-minister say "measured per household, there were no cost overruns"

2026.11.01

World

Syracuse seeks an operator to sell power from its 811kWp courthouse car park solar roof, a system once meant for schools

City estimates annual income of 105,000 to 161,000 euros at 80 to 120 euros per MWh; 24-month contract with a two-year extension option, now only at the expression-of-interest stage; no decision on whether the money goes to schools

2026.10.31

World

León, Spain wins European politics innovation award for sharing power from 2,481 solar panels on 13 city building roofs through collective self-consumption

Batteries totalling 1,970kWh at 10 sites, with plans to supply more than 100 municipal facilities; EUR 2.5 million project including EUR 1 million in EU funds expected to generate 3.9 million kWh a year; target is to cover 85% of demand at the highest-consuming facilities

2026.10.31

World

Western Macedonia regional council in Greece sets up team to negotiate local development pact with state utility and Amazon data centre; local MP proposes 500MW of solar reserved for the region

Governor's motion passes with 17 votes while opposition call to fix non-negotiable terms first gets 8; Deputy Speaker Koukoulopoulos proposes 500MW in return for land and water, run by a local power supplier set up jointly by the region and municipalities, and claims power could cost EUR 50 to 60 per MWh

2026.10.31

World

Scottish public ownership report says "powers alone are not enough" and urges local ownership conditions on projects on public land and on wind farm repowering

The Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) published it on October 26; South Lanarkshire reinvested savings from 3,035kWp of solar on schools and sports facilities, Highland saved more than £1.7 million a year by running buses in-house, and the report also proposes using ScotWind revenue

2026.10.31

World

Residents of Egenhofen, Bavaria, can join Munich municipal utility's 7.2MW wind turbine through a co-op's fixed-interest loan

Neighbouring citizen energy cooperative Maisacher Land extended its area at its May general meeting and gives Egenhofen residents priority; more than 40 attended the first information evening, and the turbine is due online around the turn of the year

2026.10.31

World

Romania's Arad puts plan for 24 solar parks with storage on 25.5ha of city land to council vote, estimated to cover 98.5% of power for 13 public bodies including schools and kindergartens

24 parks of 400kW each, 9.60MW in total, with 25,056kWh of storage; of the project's 85.47 million lei, about 55.9 million lei is to be sought from the EU Modernisation Fund, and the feasibility study went to an extraordinary session the day after it was registered to meet the 20 November application deadline

2026.10.31

World

Investor pitches 'up to 23 million euros over 30 years' for 14 wind turbines in Germany's Ziemetshausen; the mayor is opposed and the household power discount comes to 45 euros a year

Almost no trade tax in the first 15 years of operation and land rent going to private landowners; the statutory municipal levy of about 282,000 euros a year is just over a tenth of the 2.4 million euros the town pays in district levy

2026.10.31

World

Romania's Ocna Mureș produced 590MWh from its municipal solar park in a year, more than the city's 444MWh consumption, yet could not fully offset its power bills; it has applied to the EU Modernisation Fund for 1.72MWh of storage

The gap comes from exporting daytime power at 0.40 to 0.65 lei per kWh and buying it back at night for 1 to 1.30 lei; the roughly 500,000 euro project seeks near-full grant funding, and the mayor says full batteries could light the streets for a night or more

2026.10.31

World

Two Dutch villages prepare to share locally generated power ahead of the end of net metering in 2027 – Waarland launches a feasibility study with a cooperative, while Terherne's energy community looks at a village battery

Waarland is recruiting households until 1 December to test whether solar power from a builder's roof can be shared with neighbours; Terherne, with about 750 residents but some 6,000 tourist beds filled in summer, seeks ways for homes with and without solar panels to benefit

2026.10.31

World

Seven wind turbines, 39.9MW, due online in early 2027 in two Calvados villages in France; the villages' share is local tax plus 'road-use fees' of 80,000 to 107,000 euros a year

Authorised in April 2022 but held up by legal challenges until December 2024; Barou-en-Auge with three turbines gets about 80,000 euros a year, Norrey-en-Auge with four about 107,000 euros, the community of communes about 171,300 euros and the department about 96,000 euros

2026.10.31

World

Nine wind operators in Germany's Möhnesee propose a "citizens' and energy foundation" to share revenue; council to discuss on November 3

Three years of back-and-forth between paying into the municipal budget (the "Ense model") and a foundation; draft lets operators pick the first board, and only those with existing agreements offer a voluntary €1,000 per MW a year

2026.10.30

World

Three small villages in Spain's Albacete formally set up energy communities, plan shared self-consumption on municipal land

Aýna, Lezuza and Villavaliente promise residents, shops and local bodies savings with no upfront investment; next step is to study each village's demand and size a first phase

2026.10.30

World

Taiwan's Chishan village in Pingtung puts 6kW of solar on a restored old house used for elder care, spending the savings on seniors' meals

Panels went up on "Laocuo 54," an empty house donated by a resident, on the environmental bureau's advice during repairs; village chief estimates a monthly bill of about NT$20,000 is halved, but with no storage the power stops in a blackout

2026.10.30

World

Cleveland's city-owned utility seeks rate increase after summer outages, plans to borrow $30 million in 2028 for upgrades

120-year-old Cleveland Public Power proposes a new fixed charge and higher per-kWh rates for heavier users; strategic plan includes more local renewable generation, while council members say they cannot approve rates without a timeline

2026.10.30

World

Brazil's Ribeirão Pires to put solar on 12 public buildings after second selection for national regulator's efficiency programme, receiving R$4.6 million

City hall, the health department and nine municipal schools among health, education and security sites; first selection in 2024 brought R$4.2 million for 10 sites, while capacity and savings have not been disclosed

2026.10.30

World

Italy's Troia council votes to set up a non-profit renewable energy community with the town as founding member; 26 residents and local firms sign on

'Troia Green Energy' starts as a Third Sector association whose first aim is fighting energy poverty; its 175.08 kW of installations are still planned, ahead of an application for regional subsidies

2026.10.30

World

Energy community at Burgos's Villalonquéjar industrial estate wins prior approval for 1 MW shared self-consumption solar plant; state grant of 476,236 euros

About 500 companies, the estate's business association, the city council and a local foundation are behind it; 1,524 modules total 1,043.94 kWp, and the community expects more than 1.9 million euros in net savings over 20 years

2026.10.30

World

Belgian village of Omezée, home to about 60 people, plans 700-metre wood-chip heat network through a cooperative, selling 250-euro shares to citizens

'Energies positives Omezée' plans to heat a dozen homes, a special-needs school, a youth facility and the church with residues from nearby forests; permit expected soon but part of the funding still missing, and people who will not be connected can also join

2026.10.30

World

Argentina's Buenos Aires province brings 'Law 15.665' into force, letting electricity cooperatives generate renewable power for their members, with long-term low-rate loans from the provincial bank

Cooperatives and mixed-economy companies holding municipal distribution concessions get 'community self-generator' status; their power counts as part of the public distribution service and joint generation is allowed, but selling surplus requires a public limited company

2026.10.30

World

La Couvertoirade on France's Larzac plateau plans collective self-consumption sharing 148 kWc of farm-roof solar with residents of neighbouring communes; public meeting on 31 October

'Lum del Larzac' would supply power from 800 square metres of panels on a farm partnership's building to residents of nine communes within a 20 km diameter; anyone with a smart meter can join, with no second contract and savings from daytime use

2026.10.30

World

First public meeting on four-turbine Deventer A1 wind farm in the Netherlands…energy co-ops tout local ownership, but neighbours push back

Co-ops Deventer Energie and LochemEnergie plan four 280m-tip-height turbines with Pure Energie and Eneco; promoters point to a 60,000-euro-a-year community fund, opponents say investment returns and noise burdens fall on different people

2026.10.30

World

Romania's Prahova County to finish panels on 8MW public solar park by end of November…output to offset hospital, school and street-lighting power

County council builds I.D.-R.E.S. 3 with the municipality of Câmpina and the town of Comarnic on more than 53 million lei from the EU Modernisation Fund; grid injection expected from July 2027, storage batteries next

2026.10.30

World

Argentine distribution co-op Usina Popular begins site works for 3 MW solar plant on its own land in Necochea, and pursues 500 kW in a coastal village

The aim is to cut wholesale power purchases and put the savings into the grid and transformers; in the same province, the Balcarce electricity co-op, which already runs 60 panels on its head office, has floated a park on its 30-hectare plot; neither co-op has disclosed costs or timelines

2026.10.30

World

More than 80 people turn out for Aurignac citizen solar meeting in France; plan would gather home rooftops within about 20 km and run on one person, one vote

Village council, the La Glissade third place, ECLR Occitanie and the PETR are behind the project, backed by the regional nature park; a few candidate sites identified and a values charter drafted, roof owners now invited to join; capacity and costs not yet set out

2026.10.30

World

Six solar canopies rise over a stadium car park in Nantes, France, split between a council energy company and a citizen-funded company

4,500 m² of panels at La Beaujoire expected to produce 1.1 GWh a year, to be sold at fixed prices to businesses within a circle 2 km in diameter; 150 citizen shareholders, with the programme set to cover nine public car parks in seven municipalities

2026.10.30

World

Little Rock completes 4.9MW solar array at its port, expected to offset about 70% of city power use and save $1 million a year

6.3MW (DC) project finished within its $12 million budget, city says; developer says it came in $870,000 under; city aims to run municipal operations entirely on clean energy by 2030

2026.10.30

World

Residents lend 6 million euros in two and a half hours to a German wind farm set up by three municipalities

Bavaria's Hofoldinger Forst, three turbines totalling 16.68MW, took in local money as 10-year subordinated loans at 6%; in Saxony-Anhalt, Wettin-Löbejün's Bürgerenergie plans at least eight turbines with resident equity and no outside developer

2026.10.30

World

Argentine electricity cooperative in General Madariaga votes unanimously to build a 1MW solar park

1,620 panels expected to cover 20% of the town's daytime power use; the other 80% will still be bought in, and all savings on purchases will go into service investment; talks on municipal land well advanced

2026.10.30

World

Mapuche community in Argentina's Neuquén holds 34% of the 18MW Antú solar project as co-developer, now permitted and looking for a power buyer

Residents chose the 42-hectare site themselves on their 9,500 hectares; two companies hold 33% each and a separate land usufruct contract is in place; financial close still pending, with a long-term deal with a large consumer the key hurdle

2026.10.30

World

Australia launches public rating scheme for renewable and transmission developers, with three of the first five earning five stars for community engagement

The energy infrastructure commissioner publishes independent ratings against seven criteria online; five stars mean deep benefit-sharing and formal co-decision, more than 20 firms are being assessed, and participation is required from the 11th Capacity Investment Scheme tender

2026.10.29

World

Five irrigation communities in Huesca, Spain, form joint company to run irrigation on solar power, with 1,820kW of self-consumption at San Miguel

The EU Innovation Fund project CO2-FrAMed has a 4,356,000-euro grant and a 7.4 million-euro bank credit line; a company made up of the five communities finances, builds and operates the plants, with about 17,700 tonnes of CO2 expected to be avoided in the first 10 years

2026.10.29

World

Czech Republic cuts energy community grant call from CZK 1 billion to CZK 100 million and pulls deadline forward to year-end; community union says "closing without warning is no solution"

State Environmental Fund's KOMUNERG had already been cut from CZK 3.8 billion to CZK 1 billion; communities preparing to apply in 2027 see self-funded projects stall, demand a new call with revised 60% direct-consumption and 30% reserved-capacity rules

2026.10.29

World

Dutch cooperative wind farm in Zoeterwoude adds 10MW/20MWh battery; residents share wind and battery revenue while nearby firms gain grid room

Joint project of Rijnland Energie Coöperatie and Emmett Green at De Watergeuzen reuses the connection of two turbines totalling 6MW and signs two capacity-limiting contracts with the grid operator, aiming for full operation in spring 2027

2026.10.29

World

Sabah Indigenous social enterprise Tonibung wins UN Malaysia innovation award for supporting more than 40 renewable energy installations planned, built and managed by residents

Kobulu micro-hydro in Penampang doubled from 10kW to 20kW through a community-led upgrade; residents run it and pay for upkeep through a community-agreed tariff

2026.10.29

World

German village of Dardesheim, home to about 700 people, puts 1% of wind income into village projects and gives a residents' co-op 51% of its repowered turbines; a 4.4 million euro target drew 6.7 million euros

A 30-year wind village producing 150 million kWh a year, about 100 times what residents use, sees its village share reach 100,000 euros in windy years; some 200 residents of three villages have joined the co-op, while turning shared profits into industry and jobs remains a challenge

2026.10.29

World

Dutch province of Utrecht moves to set up public heat company Uwarmte, seeks EUR 19.3 million to connect about 15,000 homes over 10 years

Shares split 20% province, 40% grid operator subsidiary and 40% state heat investor so no party decides alone; provincial council votes on 16 December, and local heat communities are promised cooperation, not competition

2026.10.29

World

Valladolid opposition says rooftop solar on municipal rental housing still not shared with tenants after two years, leaving 71 households without the benefit

Three buildings totalling 50kW have been grid-connected since 2024; VTLP claims the city has not finished the paperwork, and the report carries no explanation from the city

2026.10.29

World

Board of Philippine electric cooperative CANORECO rejects AboitizPower joint-venture letter of intent as members and union say "don't turn public service into business"

Letter of intent received on Sept. 2 formally rejected under Resolution No. 171, citing unclear partnership structure and impact on member-owners; anti-privatisation movement says "it ain't over until it's over"

2026.10.29

World

"Island renewables succeed on community engagement and preparation more than technology": IEA PVPS report draws 111 success factors from 11 islands

Nearly half of success factors fall in the preparation phase before construction; local champions, stakeholder engagement across the whole project, long-term grid planning and grid strengthening are near-universal, with cases including community-owned wind on Samsø and a member-owned utility on Kodiak

2026.10.29

World

Ibiza shares 70kW of solar on a municipal car park roof with residents and small businesses within 5km, at 100 euros per kW a year with vulnerable households first

Of the 100kW on the Cas Serres car park roof, the city council keeps 30kW and the rest is expected to serve 49 homes and 7 businesses; the council estimates savings of up to 300 euros per kW a year, with applications open until 9 November

2026.10.29

World

Tübingen's municipal energy company launches its first direct citizen investment product, from 500 euros in the Traufwiesen solar park, paying its own energy customers 4% a year

swt-BürgerInvest takes the form of a subordinated loan running 7 to 10 years, with other citizens earning 3.5% a year; first interest due 31 December 2027 from the company's largest ground-mounted solar and battery park, stretching more than 1km along federal road B27

2026.10.29

World

Stuttgart's municipal energy company and a housing co-operative switch on a heat pump "energy module" for a 58-flat gas-heated tower block, with tenants' heating costs unchanged

Four heat pumps run on green power inside a timber-clad container, turning 1kWh of electricity into 3.5 to 4kWh of heat; the module was placed in under 10 minutes and connected in half a day, and a 57-flat module next door has run since autumn 2025

2026.10.29

World

Argentina's San Juan Province tenders 'community hybrid solar park' in Iglesia funded by mining trust — 10 MWp of solar and 30 MWh of batteries

Veladero mining infrastructure trust fund covers the full construction cost, initially estimated at more than 18.6 billion pesos; provincial power regulator to set a resident benefit scheme prioritising the most vulnerable; 'first in the country' is the provincial government's description

2026.10.29

World

Boise to extend geothermal heat to more than 300 affordable homes as Micron gives $2.5 million in gap funding

Lusk Housing District, built by J. Fisher Co. with the city's Housing Land Trust Program, sets aside 10% of homes for people exiting homelessness; a $1 million Bloomberg Philanthropies award pilots the geothermal expansion, layered with tax credits, bonds and city funds, with groundbreaking expected in spring 2027; 'first U.S. city effort' is the project partners' description

2026.10.29

World

Three months past France's first car-park solar deadline, 85% of large supermarket car parks still show no visible canopies

Private car-park solar mapping firm Parksun takes the first national measurement of 16,790 stores using aerial photos and LiDAR; equipped share rises from 4.5% in 2023 to 9% in 2026, with retailers ranging from about 3% to 16.3%; covering half the car parks concerned would yield about 6.3 GWp and 7 TWh a year, by the firm's estimate

2026.10.29

World

El Prat's citizen energy community in Spain grows from 4 to 19 shared solar roofs and 1MW, enough for 1,500 households in daytime, at prices 50% below retailers

A not-for-profit company owned 40% by the city council, 40% by local organisations and 20% by a users' association; residents join without a roof or investment, while shared batteries for night-time supply are held back by regulation and still in a pilot

2026.10.29

World

German energy co-operative Schwalm-Knüll and energy company EAM break ground on 7MW solar and 2.5MW battery park at Michelsberg, powering about 2,000 households from spring 2027

After years of building wind turbines together, the partners' first solar-plus-storage project costs about €4 million and lets co-operative members share in revenues; about 8 hectares of poor farmland, with 21 skylark plots and grazing sheep

2026.10.29

World

About 230 people turn out for Saerbeck's residents' meeting on a local heat network, as the German village invites 455 households to hear about prices, technology and a heat co-operative

Municipal leaders briefed residents of the potential network area in person at the Bürgerscheune hall on the evening of 28 October; the mayor called the network a big step for the village's infrastructure

2026.10.29

World

Majority owner Veolia to sell 50.1% of Braunschweig energy company BS Energy; city to "explore buying it back soon"

A remunicipalisation crossroads 24 years after the city sold 74.9% to private hands; shares held by Veolia 50.1%, the city 25.1% and Thüga 24.8%; more than 1,200 staff

2026.10.29

World

Ipswich's municipal electric department to pay upfront for home insulation and heat pumps, recovered interest-free on bills over 10 years, as "ReInvest" starts in January

About 200 homes expected under a $5 million USDA loan; only upgrades whose savings cover at least 80% of their cost qualify, and any balance passes to the next occupant after a move

2026.10.29

World

Berlin's publicly owned district heating company BEW secures €500 million EIB loan facility to "end coal by 2030 and switch to large wastewater heat pumps"

First €250 million tranche signed with terms of up to 25 years; after €1 billion in KfW loans, about €3.5 billion to be invested by 2030, using wastewater heat from the water utility and steam from the city cleaning company's incinerator

2026.10.29

World

Cardiff council-owned heat network company warms Welsh parliament and Wales Millennium Centre with surplus heat from waste incineration; council housing and a community centre connected first

£15.5 million network built with a UK Government grant and a Welsh Government loan; council says heating emissions of the three buildings could fall by up to 80%, funding for a second phase into the city centre and Cardiff Bay under review

2026.10.29

World

Energy communities in Spain's Asturias pass 20 since 2024; regional energy foundation supports 11 that won €1.1 million in grants

In Muros de Nalón, residents' group persuaded the town hall to join 'Muros Enerxía'; 20.24kWp on the municipal sports hall roof set to supply 8 residents and the town hall, with 16 more residents waiting for lack of capacity

2026.10.29

World

French cooperative bank La Nef and power cooperative Enercoop launch renewable energy savings account from 10 euros, with up to 100% of interest donatable to an energy poverty charity

Deposits feed La Nef's overall lending, which prioritises locally rooted, citizen-run projects; La Nef lent 39 million euros to 72 renewable energy projects in 2025

2026.10.29

World

Tucson votes Nov. 3 on 25-year renewal of private utility's franchise as public power group campaigns against it

Tucson Electric Power pledges 2 million dollars a year for energy affordability, about 64 million dollars over 25 years; opponents say the city should pursue a public takeover, while TEP warns rejection could raise work costs

2026.10.29

World

French citizen gas cooperative Gazcoop raises 156,000 euros from about 100 members in under a week

Founded by people from electricity cooperative Enercoop, the co-op will start with supply before moving into production, and members will decide whether to blend in natural gas

2026.10.29

World

The Hague's Transvaal heat network down for two weeks, nearly 100 residents without heating or hot water, as the city says "we are not the owner"

Every party on the council urges the city to take more control, but it can only offer emergency measures; a letter before year-end will set out legal ways to leave the network, and the city will press the consumer authority for an independent inquiry

2026.10.29

World

California's Mesa Grande Band builds solar-and-battery microgrids at three tribal offices, giving members a refuge during wildfire power shutoffs

Owned and operated by the tribe and built with help from certified tribal members; expected to save at least 16,780 dollars a year in electricity, with the same approach planned for 1,500 new homes

2026.10.29

World

Hydro One offers First Nations up to 50% co-ownership of new 500kV Ontario transmission line; Wasauksing open house presses for environmental safeguards and a say in decisions

The roughly 300km Sudbury-Barrie line is due in service by 2032; co-owners would earn a regulated return (historically 8-10%), and Hydro One admits the existing line was built in the 1970s without proper consultation

2026.10.29

World

Krakow, AGH University and a housing cooperative begin designing a local energy community, weighing energy cooperative and aggregator models

"Agregat Kraków-Krowodrza" held its first meeting on October 28 to look at cutting energy costs for city bodies and joining the electricity balancing market; the scale of savings and a start date have not been set

2026.10.29

World

Missoula citizen climate fund steps in where federal support was cut, covering the last $8,000 for a nonprofit materials store's 60 kW solar array

Climate Smart Missoula's Climate Catalyst Fund, built on individual donations and a local credit union, fills the final gap in carbon-cutting projects; it also paid the heat-pump difference for 12 low-income public housing units

2026.10.29

World

Eight local authorities and co-operatives in Savoie, France, open the 5MWc Alp'Cœur Énergie solar plant on 5 ha of idle business-park land, producing 6.5GWh a year

Led by the Cœur de Savoie community of communes after five years of preparation, with an electricity co-operative, a mixed-economy company and a village power co-operative on board; power is sold locally under direct contracts with park businesses, and the plant carries the Énergie Partagée label

2026.10.28

World

Petershausen in Bavaria covers its public park-and-ride car park with a solar roof, aiming to feed 1.8 million kWh a year into the grid from July 2027

Municipal company KUP breaks ground on a carport solar plant at the P&R car park with a battery, EV chargers and a rapid charger; it is a pilot under the Bavarian solar initiative, which funds one project per administrative district

2026.10.28

World

Former Ann Arbor council member files state complaint alleging the City Council's resolution against public power Proposal E broke election neutrality rules

Complaint targets the 10-1 resolution directing the city attorney to challenge the measure in court and the broadcast of 35 minutes of opposing remarks; a council member calls it a bogus complaint ahead of the vote, and the state has yet to rule

2026.10.28

World

Flanders ends hands-on support for low-income households installing solar panels, saving 3 million euros together with heating-system support

Energy and climate minister announces the move in her 2027 policy and budget note; Energy Houses had been paid 700 euros per case to spend an average of six hours helping install 5 kWp systems, at odds with the Energy Poverty Plan 2030

2026.10.28

World

French Basque energy co-operative I-Ener starts building the area's first large solar park on a former landfill after raising €1 million from citizens, businesses and public bodies

The Zaluaga plant at Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle costs about €2.4 million and will sell all 3.1GWh a year to a co-operative electricity supplier under a 30-year contract from April 2027; the money came as co-op shares and 3% member loans, and votes are split 40% citizens, 20% workers, 20% public bodies

2026.10.28

World

South African mining-affected communities movement MACUA cites the R2.1 billion Sonvanger solar plant in calling for laws guaranteeing community ownership and decision-making in renewable projects

Its report Green Power, Old Inequality says contracts were signed without proper community input and promised benefits to small businesses never arrived; the developer points to 805 local hires and training and says the plant, sold under a private contract outside public procurement, is not bound by community-benefit rules

2026.10.28

World

German climate municipality Saerbeck to unveil prices on 28 October for a local heat network fed by village biogas and wind power, covering 455 buildings in the centre

Heat company Waermewerk will take connection pre-contracts from November to March 2027; if enough sign up, the municipal council makes the final decision and streets with high take-up are built first, with first heat targeted for the end of 2028

2026.10.28

World

Spanish town of Majadahonda tenders 781kWp of rooftop solar on 11 public buildings for collective self-consumption, at €988,834 including VAT

Installation on seven schools, two sports centres, a police station and a library is bundled with five years of maintenance, with each building's installation cost, annual savings and payback period published; bids close on 30 November, and the scheme has no citizen participation

2026.10.28

World

New owner Nadara takes on promise of up to 20% community ownership at 48MW Bettyhill wind farm in Scotland

Community benefits package drawn up by developer Eden Renewables carries over, with a share offer through Farr North Community Development Trust, a local electricity discount and a schools programme; construction due early 2027, operation by end of 2028

2026.10.28

World

Saxon town of Lommatzsch earned 144,000 euros a year from wind but refused repowering; mayor says "we are giving away control"

In 2023 the town council opposed replacing seven ageing turbines and never even discussed an electricity bonus for neighbours; 19 turbines left out of new priority-area plans will be hard to replace at end of life, while 40,000 people in Saxony signed a petition to halt wind expansion

2026.10.28

World

Italy's Alto Vicentino renewable energy community reaches full operation with 18 towns and 169 members, eyeing a potential 7.2MW by end-2027

Running since January 2026 with 73kW online and 97kW about to join; 2.17MW in the pipeline including a 400kW town gym roof; a citizens' group purchase of solar and heat pumps starts in November

2026.10.28

World

Mayor of Serramanna in Sardinia proposes an "energy-producing territories fund" giving host municipalities a fixed share of regional money

At an agrivoltaic plant inauguration he called for benefiting from production, not just compensation; no new tax, but redirecting part of energy tax revenue the region already receives, plus siting rules to protect fertile farmland

2026.10.28

World

East Grand Forks school district in Minnesota builds $1.2 million solar farm next to middle school, paying $200,000 itself and expecting at least $50,000 in savings a year

Grants including $500,000 from the federal Solar for Schools program cover most of the cost; operation due early next year with payback in four years; grant requires a solar curriculum plan within six months of completion; no resident investment involved

2026.10.28

World

Bordeaux puts 3,648 kWp of solar canopies over Bacalan truck park as metropolitan area and city move to second stage of public car park solar programme

22,000 m² of canopies to generate 4,377 MWh a year, all fed into the grid, with structures designed around heavy trucks; next comes a 300 kWp plant at the P+R Pyrénées park-and-ride in Villenave-d'Ornon in summer 2027; ownership and resident involvement not disclosed

2026.10.28

World

Italian city of Alba moves to join two renewable energy communities as a member, including "CER Roero" with 30 municipalities and more than 1,000 members

It will join alongside a "solidarity" community that grew out of the Red Cross; the city faces no new costs and can connect public-building meters selectively and step by step; the executive has approved the plan, which now goes to the full council

2026.10.28

World

Romania's former mining region of the Jiu Valley gets 5.4 million euros for energy communities as a Petroșani homeowners' association becomes the first to register

Grants cover 98% of costs with a 2% own contribution, about 200 euros per household in a worked example for a 40-household block; residents must first form an association and register with the energy regulator, with a deadline of 31 March 2027

2026.10.28

World

Amersfoort formally refuses permit for two Isselt wind turbines backed by a citizens' energy group, as Utrecht province moves to take over the procedure

Wind op Isselt, a joint venture of developer REF and Samen Energie Amersfoort, is turned down by the municipal executive after the council's binding negative advice; the council passes a motion of regret against the province by 23 votes to 13

2026.10.28

World

Italy's 2027 budget earmarks about 1.6 billion euros for energy upgrades of schools, hospitals, universities and other public buildings, with solar first and a 30% cut in consumption as the goal

Funding comes from the 7 billion euro national energy safeguard clause agreed with the EU; the reported split of 650 million for schools, 600 million for health facilities, 200 million for universities and 150 million for sports facilities is not yet confirmed

2026.10.28

World

Shelter Island town committee recommends rooftop solar on the town Recycling Center after ranking four of nine proposals

An 18-month National Renewable Energy Lab study found the project cost-effective; top bids show a 12-to-15-year payback and a 25-to-30-year system life, about $150,000 is needed this year, and battery storage is left out

2026.10.28

World

Ann Arbor sues to void citizens' 'public power' ballot proposal eight days before the vote; state attorney general's office has called it a charter amendment

City files 69-page complaint after 10-1 council vote, arguing the measure is a charter revision made without the required procedure; campaigners call it a last-minute attempt to change an election, and no ruling or hearing date has been set

2026.10.28

World

Bueña energy co-operative in Teruel, Spain, counts town council and residents' association among members as it prepares Aragon's first collective self-consumption scheme with physical batteries

14 members, 40kW of solar serving more than 20 meters; installation finished at a cost of about €100,000, but two grid-connection decisions by the distributor have fallen through, and surplus-sale income will go to a residents' association for village social projects

2026.10.28

World

Ten years of 250MW solar on Moapa Band of Paiutes land in Nevada: a 50-year lease with no royalties or energy sharing, and a tribal chair seeking "ownership in the actual power" in future deals

The first utility-scale solar farm on a reservation in the US powers up to 111,000 homes in California, while the tribe receives none of the energy or generation revenue and buys its own power elsewhere; a fourth solar farm is due to break ground this month

2026.10.28

World

France's Grand Est citizen energy support network GECLER aims to triple participants by 2028, backing 58 citizen groups of which 29 already run power plants

Three regional associations have offered advice, feasibility studies and legal and financial support since 2019, with supported projects totalling 19MW and 23.5GWh a year; members top 2,000 across citizen wind in the Ardennes, public-roof solar in Saverne and a restored old hydro plant in the Vosges

2026.10.28

World

Electricity co-operative in Berrotarán, Córdoba, Argentina, inaugurates its first 800kW solar park and estimates a 15-20% cut in household members' bills

Output equals about a third of the power the co-op buys from the provincial utility, with savings showing from November bills; in Córdoba, 12 "solar communities" totalling 11.4MW have been built with distribution co-ops, and a developer expects 17 co-ops in a 40MW project in 2027

2026.10.28

World

Sixteen Utah communities to launch a Community Clean Energy Program in January 2027, adding $4 a month for homes and nothing for low-income households

Run by the municipal coalition Utah Renewable Communities with Rocky Mountain Power, the program enrolls residents by default and lets them leave at any time; two solar projects are in final contract talks, with up to 500MW of new clean energy in view

2026.10.28

World

Wollongong council unanimously adopts Energy Equity Framework as rooftop solar averages 35% citywide but only 17.9% in its lowest suburb

Four principles aim to give renters, low-income households and apartment residents access to cheaper clean power; council research says almost one in five households may face energy hardship, but no new budget or program has been set

2026.10.27

World

Victoria widens Solar for Apartments to buildings of up to 150 lots, with rebates of up to A$2,800 per apartment

Federal and state funding covers an average 76% of installation costs and the median property value cap is removed; owners corporations may direct up to 20% of output to common areas such as corridors and car parks, with applications open until June 2027

2026.10.27

World

Poland changed the law to let city residents form energy cooperatives, but an EU state aid review has put it on hold

Urban provisions in the October 2025 amending act stay suspended until a positive European Commission decision; climate ministry hopes for an answer this year, while a civic group argues cooperatives that cannot sell power do not distort competition

2026.10.27

World

Llanidloes residents' energy club in Wales wins £941,280 in government funding to expand its social virtual power plant, with free solar and batteries for 10 more homes

Renewable installations planned at the high school, community centre and youth club; Welsh Government estimates average household savings of £368 a year, and the scheme is forecast to raise around £14,000 a year for community projects

2026.10.27

World

Lake District National Park Authority triples solar output at Kendal headquarters with car park canopy, generating 87,000kWh a year

Panels over parking bays and office roofs; about 66% of the power is used on site and the surplus exported to the grid, using developed land instead of green fields on the way to a 2030 net zero target

2026.10.27

World

Australia's Blue Mountains council fits solar and batteries at nine council-owned sites including its headquarters, cultural centre and childcare centres, keeping essential services running in outages

Three sites get new solar, three get new solar and batteries, and three add batteries to existing panels, funded by the NSW Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program and the council

2026.10.27

World

French commune of Trémentines to share surplus from 36kWc solar on its childcare centre roof among 15 public buildings within 2km, council votes unanimously

Council approves joining a collective self-consumption scheme and names the Maine-et-Loire intercommunal energy syndicate Siéml as organising body, at 858 euros a year under a 20-year contract

2026.10.27

World

Lodi's solidarity renewable energy community foundation holds first general meeting in Italy, with more than 30 citizen, council and business members attending and two of four sharing configurations running

Fondazione Cers Solare Lodigiana, set up as a non-profit in January 2025, adds two social-sector figures to its board; the other two configurations await review by the national energy services operator

2026.10.27

World

Valencia finishes 2,495.96 kWp of solar on the roofs of two municipal cemeteries, with a quarter of the power earmarked for 800 vulnerable households

The 'Requiem in Power' programme covers five municipal cemeteries, with a total investment of 3.2 million euros and about 3,388 MWh a year expected across all five; 75% goes to city buildings and social services pick the households

2026.10.27

World

Six Michigan community solar bills since 2021 and none passed, with four now stuck in committee and no hearings scheduled

A House bill would set aside 40% for low-income households and guarantee 10-20% bill savings, but DTE and Consumers Energy say costs would shift to non-subscribers; Ann Arbor uses a city energy utility to put solar and batteries on homes

2026.10.27

World

Belgian nature group Natuurpunt objects to Ecopower's Mechelen-Noord wind turbine with five conditions: 'no permit without them'

It wants automatic night-time shutdowns to protect bats during autumn migration and at least two years of independent monitoring; its 'conditional yes' covers nature only, not noise or landscape

2026.10.27

World

Renewable energy community of Venarotta in Italy's Marche region begins operating after members' assembly, with the town saying it ranks first in Marche and second in Italy by membership

Membership, plant capacity and incentive amounts were not disclosed; the generating plant is owned by local company SDF Green Energy, and national incentives are shared equally among residents and businesses under the same primary substation

2026.10.27

World

Spanish town of Eibar's energy community seeks 90 more members for solar on three municipal roofs

Town hall handed over 1,093 square metres of school and cultural-centre roofs for 364 panels; 200 households, shops and small firms have joined, and referrals earn both sides three months' free fees

2026.10.27

World

Rooftop solar on 183 homes cuts power bills for 495 households in six remote Kimberley communities, with about $275,000 in credits over three years

Western Australian state-owned utility Horizon Power completes its Kimberley Communities Solar Saver this month at about 1.5MW, averaging 8.2kW per system; neighbours without panels also get bill credits, and about 122,000 litres of diesel have been displaced

2026.10.27

World

Swiss municipality of Ennetbürgen links three private solar plants and one public plant in a local electricity community, supplying 12 public buildings from November

First case in the canton of Nidwalden, set up with utility EWN to cover about 90,000kWh a year; the community sets its own prices, paying producers 8 rappen per kWh and charging 19.67 rappen

2026.10.27

World

California, No. 1 in solar, still has no community solar: four years after a 2022 law, Newsom vetoes AB 1813

Regulator CPUC handed utilities more control in 2024, and a bill valuing projects by avoided cost with paired batteries was vetoed in September; a coalition of community, labour and environmental groups vows a 2027 push while a developer shifts investment to the 22 states with programs

2026.10.27

World

Romania's Sibiu signs contract for 4.8312MW city-owned solar park to offset power bills for street lighting and other public facilities

EU Modernisation Fund money of 28.05 million lei for the Dealul Dăii site and at least 6,468.574MWh a year; work to start in early 2027 and finish within five months, with a separate 25.47 million lei bid for batteries to store surplus power

2026.10.27

World

Germany's Vierkirchen wind farm in Dachau district has permits and local support but no start date after hitting the federal auction wall

Four-turbine plan backed by two municipalities and a cooperative; bonus for the less windy south no longer enough to compete with the north, and the local member of the Bundestag calls in an open letter for separate southern auctions

2026.10.27

World

Residents' heat network in Pöcking, Bavaria, teams up with energy co-op and wins €100,000 from federal pilot programme; 88 of 210 households want to connect

A "regional group" model is being tested in which residents handle local outreach and advice while the co-op brings capital and expertise; delays in a federal subsidy decision push start-up to late 2028, and the municipality plans but will not operate

2026.10.27

World

Solar on 372 m² of roof at Toulon's state administrative centre shares surplus power with neighbouring government buildings through collective self-consumption

Generating capacity exceeds the centre's own use by about half, so the surplus goes to public buildings within a 2 km diameter; prefect says bills could fall 10%, while 17 local authorities in the Var already run such schemes and 30 more are planned

2026.10.27

World

Western Australia moves to become the first Australian state to legalise plug-in balcony solar, opening consultation on safety standards

Energy minister estimates households could save A$240 a year on power bills, or A$500 with a battery; the kits can be sold now but not legally plugged in, and no date has been set for legislation

2026.10.27

World

Leoben's citizen power plant energy community in Austria marks its first year, with neighbours sharing about 93,000kWh of solar power

Launched in March 2025, it now has more than 80 members, who join on top of their existing power contracts; with output exceeding demand, it is recruiting new members

2026.10.27

World

Bill for public purchase of a private utility sits in the New York Legislature as Rochester's public power campaign looks to it as a path for its own utility

Central Hudson would be bought with bonds repaid through customer bills; campaigners claim public power rates are 13% to 63% lower, while the county legislature rejected study funding 16-13 in 2024

2026.10.27

World

France's Aude puts "villages before developers": energy syndicate and farm chamber sign charter, call for 1 to 3 joint commune-farmer renewable projects

Syaden and the Aude Chamber of Agriculture signed on 23 October in Narbonne; projects start on public roofs and move step by step onto land, and communes will invite company bids only after drafting their own plans; deadline 18 January 2027

2026.10.27

World

Spain shares school-roof sunshine with neighbours: Ibiza primary school gives 27kW of its 40kW to residents, Santa Pola launches energy community on 200kW of school and sports-hall roofs

Balearic government offers power from Sant Jordi primary school's roof to homes and small businesses within 5km at 100 euros per kW a year, estimating savings of about 300 euros and putting vulnerable households first, applications until 9 November; Santa Pola in Alicante expects two 100kW systems to cover up to 50% of demand for 200 homes and shops

2026.10.27

World

UK housing association Peabody joins FlatSave, letting a social-housing block share one rooftop solar array; first system in Stevenage

E.ON Next and Allume Energy product pays residents an annual sum when a communal battery supports the grid; the companies claim bills fall by up to 60% with up to 160 pounds a year in grid payments, while early adopter Trivallis in Wales reports cuts of up to 50% in many cases

2026.10.27

World

Residents' group on Spain's Arousa island plans 50kW solar and 28kWh battery on the municipal market roof to share power among 20 households, mussel farmers and the town hall

Mar & Luz 2, the second energy community of local group Arousa en Transición, is expected to generate 75MWh a year; power will be split by preset shares, with surplus charging the battery before going to the grid, and a building permit and a grid line still to be arranged

2026.10.27

World

24kW community-owned solar goes onto the roof of Canada's longest-running cinema, the Patricia Theatre, with residents invited to buy in from $500

The theatre in BC's qathet region provides the roof and buys the power; SolShare runs the project and worker co-op VREC Solar installs it, with local residents offered shares first before the offer opens to all British Columbians until November 4

2026.10.27

World

Woodbine, New Jersey, nears construction of a 10MW solar farm on an old landfill left uncapped for decades, a project worth more than $60 million

Developer CEP Renewables will own the panels while the borough leases the land; the mayor expects residents and businesses who sign up before start-up to get 20-30% off their bills with no income limits, and the borough to earn about $150,000 a year for 30 years

2026.10.27

World

Ireland's rural affairs minister wants bigger renewable energy community benefit funds, now set at 2 euros per MWh for 15 years

At the launch of the government's new rural development strategy, Minister Calleary said he would like operators to pay more but gave no figure or timing; Taoiseach Martin said 18 billion euros of grid investment over five years will bring difficult choices for rural communities

2026.10.27

World

Spanish civic groups propose a generational energy fund to pay for pensions and public housing from solar and wind revenue ahead of the 29 November election

HOPE-led Impulso Regenerativo would copy Norway's oil-funded pension fund but hold physical assets at home in a permanent fund; part of renewable project taxes would stay with municipalities and each plant would back a municipal energy community, with energy sovereignty targeted for 2040

2026.10.27

World

Funding gap ahead of Ann Arbor public power vote: residents' group has raised about $60,000 in cash, DTE-backed opposition has spent more than $1.7 million

Supporters raised over $27,000 mostly in small resident donations in the 21 July to 18 October reporting period; opponents took in $40,000 cash plus over $79,000 in-kind from DTE in the same period, joined by the investor-owned utilities' trade group; the vote is on 3 November

2026.10.27

World

24-unit Brooklyn housing co-op adds rooftop solar without an extra assessment, repaying a $232,000 loan from the spread on a building-wide master meter

Sunset Park's Park Hill dropped individual utility accounts so the co-op buys power in bulk and bills shareholders at the retail rate; submetering revenue of $7,000 a year, $7,000 a year in solar credits and government incentives will repay the loan, after which the board decides how to use the money

2026.10.27

World

Italy's Calenzano signs deal to turn 180,000 m² former Eni fuel depot, where blast killed five, into solar hub; town gets 5% of power value and a 1 MW plant for free

Tuscany, Calenzano and Eni sign protocol for up to 20 MW of solar after clean-up and permits; a 1 MW plant with batteries goes to the town for a local energy community, and 5% of the value of the main plant's power goes to the town for up to 30 years

2026.10.27

World

Eugene, Oregon, clean energy fund backed by big-business fee heads to vote with supporters at $727,000 raised and opponents at $130,000

Measure 20-388, put on the ballot by residents' petition, would levy a 2% fee on large corporations to build a climate projects fund; opponents' fundraising is up more than fivefold since early this month but the gap remains wide, amid a "blank check" dispute and a campaign finance complaint

2026.10.27

World

New Zealand's Canterbury regional council asks residents whether to lease 2,700ha of flood-protection land for solar

Environment Canterbury weighs leasing land between West Melton and Yaldhurst to a developer; initial assessments say 300ha alone could yield about 150MWp, enough for about 40,000 homes, and the chair says nothing has been decided

2026.10.27

World

Singapore bundles government agencies' solar demand into one tender, extending panels to carports and building walls in push for 4GWp by 2035

Energy Market Authority to appoint a panel of installers to assess agency buildings and draw up tailored proposals; JTC launches facade and containerised solar challenges, and a portal for landed homes will offer group purchase opportunities

2026.10.27

World

California's Butte County holds off on community benefits deal for 1,700-acre solar project as residents call for environmental review first

Under the state permitting path created by AB 205 the county has no say over the permit, but the developer must file a benefits agreement with a local agency or nonprofit; offer includes $300,000 a year, a fire station parcel and grants of $500,000 for fire and $250,000 for the sheriff, and the company could turn to another nonprofit if the county says no

2026.10.27

World

Michigan votes November 3 on banning utility political money, with Proposal 2 put on the ballot by 560,000 signatures

Measure would bar utility-funded PACs from giving directly to candidates and stop utility executives, board members and their families from donating; supporters blame high bills and frequent outages on utility clout, opponents call it an attack on free speech that would only shift influence to wealthy national donors

2026.10.27

World

Fort Scott, Kansas, approves 225kW solar and battery system at city water plant, financed with a 1% loan from its wastewater fund

City Commission votes 3-1; a federal direct payment is expected to cover about half of the roughly $550,000 cost, leaving the city about $270,000; installer projects $30,000 in annual savings and an eight-year payback, with operation required by the end of 2027

2026.10.27

World

Lexington, Kentucky, attaches a community benefits agreement to landfill solar, requiring funds for low-income energy help and job training

Council approved the deal with the Haley Pike landfill developer on October 22; the company must report project-related occupational license fees so revenue can be tracked, and the city calls it the largest landfill-to-solar project in the U.S.

2026.10.27

World

Six years into Sri Lanka's state-owned Mannar wind farm, fishers and residents push back over falling catches and flooding; government freezes new projects in Mannar

Phase one's 30 turbines and 104MW joined the grid in 2020 and 14 more are under construction; residents blame the turbines though the cause is unproven, and a citizens' committee has led two court cases

2026.10.26

World

South Africa's Ekurhuleni breaks ground on 25.6MW solar plant on produce market roof and vacant land, built by private firms with the city buying power for 20 years

The R360m plant is expected to generate about 40GWh a year; the city pays no upfront capital under a power purchase agreement that is part of its programme to buy up to 2,400MW from independent producers

2026.10.26

World

Italy's Diocese of Cremona links seven renewable energy community foundations, with about 90 municipalities, parishes and other bodies and roughly 6,000 kW in operation

316 members in under two years, 85 of them small and medium-sized firms; 25 MW awaiting start-up as an industrial agreement with a solar company aims to add battery storage and grid flexibility services

2026.10.26