On Monday, February 20, COMET and ENACT will participate in the flagship energy conference SPIREC 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Our team member, Ainina Sofia, will join an expert panel at the “Changing Energy Governance: Communities and Cities Shifting to Renewables” session to explore the drivers and barriers for citizen-led, democratic and decentralised energy transition.
Date and Time: Monday, February 20, 16:00-17:30. Location: Room N105, IFEMA North Convention Centre, Av. del Partenón, 5, 28042 Madrid. Register here.
Local communities and cities play a central role in the energy transition. Their choices today will impact energy infrastructure and uses of the next decades. Despite political will, local decision-makers often face barriers such as lack of money, complex legislation, fossil fuel lobby and diverging priorities. Resolving them requires governance innovation, new ways of learning and shared action.
What might cities and villages learn from each other in accelerating the transition?
How can supply chain actors collaborate to reimagine the energy system?
What are the best business and funding models to finance the transition?
These are some of the questions to be discussed by the experts from WWF, UN-Habitat, CC35, PPCA, Sustainable Energy Africa and local authorities. COMET and ENACT will share experiences in facilitating rural energy transitions that leave noone behind through sound institutions, management and learning.
COMET provides digital software for energy mini-grids that simulates demand for various energy use scenarios and produces valuable insights for communities, developers and operators. COMET workshops help build community consensus and facilitate learning on energy system design, tariffs and demand management.
ENACT enables inclusive, resilient and sustainable energy transitions via a community-centred approach. ENACT helps communities build effective institutions, strengthen social cohesion and benefit from technological innovation while generating co-benefits of energy and climate action across multiple SDGs.
The two organisations work in synergy to generate a deep and lasting positive impact on the energy future across off-grid communities and villages.
SPIREC 2023 is this year’s edition of the International Renewable Energy Conference, co-hosted by the Spanish government and REN21. It brings together decision-makers, companies, academia and civil society to build collective know-how for advancing renewables, building resilient energy supplies, and enabling social participation, energy security and sustainable development.
Ainina Sofia to represent COMET and ENACT shared her thoughts on the unique role of smaller communities in the energy transition:
Off-grid communities don’t have many energy options but this constraint is also a source of strength: they can commit to a rapid transition without grappling with barriers that haunt larger settlements. Leading the renewables adoption, small communities have accumulated lessons cities can start learning from today.
ENACT Executive Director Ayu Abdullah highlighted her vision of a community-centred energy transition:
Every community has its way of doing things. This is why a community-centred approach is so crucial for a smooth transition, enabling energy systems that reflect unique local institutions, priorities and practices. Pairing available capacities, relevant knowledge, and effective tools can help communities build well-managed, decentralised and democratic local energy systems within years.
Register here for SPIREC 2023 or contact Andreas Budiman for more information at abudiman@enactpartners.org