2011: 100 renewable energy villages (100-RES-COMMUNITIES)

Date interview: July 1 2016
Name interviewer: Morten Elle, Center for Design, Innovation and Sustainable Transition, Department of Development and Planning, Aalborg University, Copenhagen
Name interviewee: Raphaël Claustre (RC)
Position interviewee: Director of CLER

Values Social-technical relations Social-spatial relations Social-economic relations Regional organizations Re-invigoration Providing alternatives to institutions NGOs Networking Competence development

This is a CTP of initiative: INFORSE ‐ CLER (France)

2011: 100 renewable energy villages (100-RES-COMMUNITIES)   In 2011 CLER succeeded in getting funding for the EU project 100-RES-COMMUNITIES, the project itself starting in 2012 and runs for 3 years. The aim was to transform 100 rural communities in 10 different countries to 100 % renewable energy, based on experiences from Austria, Germany and Italy. CLER coordinates the project, which demonstrates CLER’s basic philosophy of creating local energy independence and empowering citizens. The general important lessons learnt from the project are:  

·         Supporting sustainable energy project in rural areas is important to also tackle various other local development issues. Jobs created with energy projects and expertise or the fight against fuel poverty are much closer to the usual concerns of mayors and lead eventually to the same set of actions.

·         Small communities need assistance to develop a sustainable energy action plan (SEAP or similar). If they do so, they have to overcome excessive reporting steps and even then, the dimension of actions they are able to handle themselves may not be at the right scale. Therefore, they should rather gather with neighbour communities and work together with a territorial coordinator. The territorial coordinators should themselves get support from external experts, at least in a starting phase of development.

·         The exchange of experiences and mutual support on joint SEAP development are valuable, but show some limits. The Covenant of Mayors procedures are not well adapted to the complex structuring introduced with the grouping of small communities willing to develop and implement a joint SEAP. The consortium will propose changes to this framework on joint SEAPs.

Co-production

The project includes a number of different European NGOs, including the Belgian INFORSE member APERe. The project is related to the actions of the Covenant of Mayors, and the European network of rural areas and villages Rurenes. According to RD it is crucial that EU funds this type of project, making it possible to get transnational experiences and exchange ideas across borders.

Related events

CLER had felt that France was lacking behind in this type of development. A study trip to Kassel in Germany inspired CLER to try do carry of the same type of project in France. Based on the idea of decentralization CLER launched the idea of energy positive territories in 2010, being a platform for the development of the European project.

Contestation

The same conservative forced that tried to argue against CLER in the general political debate was in opposition to the project. The project challenges the existing powerful energy infrastructure in France. CLER is, however, a very strong network with a lot of allies in civil society, in industry and among local authorities.

Anticipation

CLER had planned the project and in that way it was anticipated, even though you never know whether a European Project gets funded before the grant has been given.

Learning

CLER learned a lot about organizing 100 % renewable villages from this project, including establishing local networks, finding local project leaders and establishing support structures.