On 7 October 2025, over a hundred community energy leaders, policymakers, financiers, and EU officials gathered in Brussels for the Final Conference of the LIFE-ACCE Project – “Accelerating Community Energy Financing Schemes across Europe.” Under the motto “From Blueprint to Breakthrough,” the event marked the culmination of three years of work to unlock capital for citizen-led renewable energy initiatives across Europe.

Setting the Scene: A New Era for Energy Communities

After a warm welcome, Michele Sansoni (CINEA), Sara Tachelet (REScoop.eu) and Camelia Sava (Cooperativa de Energie) opened the day by celebrating how far the community energy movement has come — and how the ACCE project has helped bridge the persistent gap between grassroots ambition and accessible finance.

In seven pilot countries (NL, FR, DE, HR, RO, BE, ES), the project supported the creation of Community Energy Financing Schemes (CEFS). In just three years, these schemes helped trigger €738 million in investments, proving that community energy can be both socially inclusive and financially scalable.

Policy & Finance Roundtable: Unlocking the Path

The first plenary discussion brought together experts including Joanna Jakubowska (DG REGIO), Achille Hannoset (DG ENER), John Vanwynsberghe (Hefboom), Corina Murafa (European Economic and Social Committee) and Femme van Houten (Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, the Netherlands).

Participants highlighted that robust business models and enabling national frameworks are essential for CEFS to thrive — particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, where communities still face barriers to energy sharing and local supply.

Speakers agreed that development capital plays a pivotal role in de-risking early-stage projects. The Dutch Development Fund, one of the ACCE pilots, stood out as a pioneering example: its loans-to-grants model for wind and solar project preparation has successfully unblocked projects at the critical early phase.

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Crack the Finance Process: Lessons from the Field

In an interactive session featuring Triodos Bank, La Nef, VDK, Nationaal Groen Fonds, and regional administrations from Utrecht and Zuid-Holland, participants explored practical financing approaches for community projects.
Key takeaways included:

  • Financial institutions should value the societal impact of community projects alongside financial returns.
  • There is a need for financial systems that support small actors who choose not to scale but to stay local and democratic.
  • Derisking mechanisms and methods to measure social impact are key to attracting blended finance.
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Voices from the Movement & The Community Energy Charter

The final panel gave the floor to practitioners from across Europe: Merel Oldenburg (Energie Samen), Josu Naveda (GoiEner), Camelia Sava (Cooperativa de Energie), Suzanne Renard (Énergie Partagée), Zoran Kordić (ZEZ) and Mark Luntley (REScoop.eu). They shared their plans for the future. 

Reflecting on three years of joint work, Mark Luntley (REScoop.eu) highlighted how the project had only begun to tap into the vast potential of Community Energy Financing Schemes — and expressed confidence that CEFS will play a central role in financing Europe’s next wave of citizen-led energy projects.

Sara Tachelet presented the Community Energy Charter, a shared commitment to an inclusive, fair, and sustainable energy transition that puts citizens at the heart of Europe’s climate future. At the end more than 20 organisations signed the charter 

Closing and Networking

The day concluded with a reception and informal networking, where participants celebrated not just the end of a project — but the beginning of a stronger, better-financed future for community energy in Europe.

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