Background:

The PROGRESS project advances the EU’s climate and energy goals by promoting renewable energy communities (RECs) and prosumer aggregations in Serbia, Romania, Hungary, and Italy, supporting the European Green Deal and the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Aligned with EU Directive 2018/2001 and national strategies like Hungary’s Energy Strategy 2030 and the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility, it fosters decentralised energy production, energy independence, and clean energy adoption while addressing energy poverty.

A projekt a decentralizált energiatermelést, az energiafüggetlenséget és a tiszta energia elterjedését ösztönzi, miközben foglalkozik az energiaszegénység problémájával is.

Key challenges include technical, legal, and financial barriers, as well as enhancing governance skills, stakeholder participation, and transparent decision-making processes. In Italy, where renewable energy accounted for 38.4% of supply in 2022, progress continues despite lagging internationally. Hungary, Romania, and Serbia are developing regulatory frameworks, financing models, and governance structures to support RECs and other prosumer aggregations.

Raising awareness, strengthening capacity, and establishing common terminology are crucial for overcoming barriers and enabling citizens to actively participate in the energy transition.

PROGRESS empowers communities by fostering the creation of renewable energy communities (RECs) and prosumer aggregations. The project will establish and strengthen RECs in the four participating countries by promoting renewable energy production, self-consumption, and distribution. This involves conducting detailed assessments of local energy conditions, developing tailored governance models, and creating strategic action plans for sustainable energy solutions. The project partners will collaborate with local stakeholders, including community members, local authorities, and policymakers, to ensure the effective implementation of energy strategies.

Activities include:

• detailed assessment of the local energy situation,
• development of customized governance models,
• preparation of strategic action plans for sustainable energy systems,
• collaboration with local stakeholders (residents, municipalities, decision-makers),
• conducting baseline surveys,
• documentation of best practices,
• organization of workshops and consultations.

In addition, PROGRESS will contribute to the EUKI community by sharing knowledge through conferences and events.

The project also addresses energy poverty by involving disadvantaged categories in energy transition activities.