On May 6th, 2022, DIALOGUES’ partner, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) will organise a workshop under the frame of the Berlin Energy Days, on the means to support energy citizenship.

The focus of the workshop is to address and discuss the chances and burdens of citizens to participate in the energy transition, different concepts, and regulations.

The moderator of the event is Fritz Reusswig (Senior researcher at PIK), and the panel of experts participating in the discussions is composed by:

• Julia Epp (Researcher at PIK)
• Christoph Rinke (Chair of Energy cooperative BürgerEnergie Berlin)
• Lars Rotzsche (Municipal energy supplier of Kassel)
• Rene Mono (Head of the Berlin office of E.ON)

As always, community energy is key for the acceptance of renewable energies and thus to the implementation of the federal government’s ambitious climate protection plans. However, cooperatives, for example, have structural deficits, because so far they have largely consisted of a homogeneous group of male academics with an affinity for technology. Homeowners also have it much easier to implement PV projects than landlords in apartment buildings.

The aim of the joint energy transition project should be to win over a broad section of the population to participate in the renewable energy system. The political and legal framework must evolve if we want more public participation in the generation of renewable energies.

In our workshop, we will examine, among other things, the current status of community energy, which questions of justice are associated with community energy and how energy companies and municipal utilities are contributing to the development of community energy.

Information about the event > HERE