Governing the energy commons: communities as drivers of territorial and socio-ecological transformation

The study introduces the concept of en-communiting, a dynamic process where communities unite around renewable energy initiatives, turning energy infrastructures into platforms for social equity and ecological resilience. Published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy, the research explores four international case studies through a 7-point framework, revealing how Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) reduce inequality, foster trust, and empower citizens. While RECs show immense potential, the study calls for targeted policies to bridge gaps between vision and reality in the fight for a just energy transition.

As energy costs rise and climate emergencies intensify, decentralized renewable energy systems are increasingly recognized not just as technological solutions, but as democratic infrastructures. Associate Professor Monica Bernardi of Milano-Bicocca University introduces en-communiting, a concept that captures how communities self-organize around shared energy practices, redefining renewable energy as a force for collective well-being.

“RECs are more than energy projects; they’re social laboratories,” explains Bernardi. “By embedding renewable systems within local cultures, these initiatives transform energy into a common good, tackling energy poverty and pollution together.”

The study presents four RECs across Los Angeles (the Bassett-Avocado Heights project), Seoul (the Seongdaegol Energy Indipendent Village), London (the Banister Solar House project), and Naples (the San Giovanni a Teduccio initiative). It uses a novel 7-point framework assessing factors like community participation (collective agency), trust-building, alignment with local contexts (territorial embeddedness), technological solutions, measurable social benefits, governance structures, and eco-welfare potential, providing a holistic lens to assess how RECs drive both environmental sustainability and social equity. Key findings include:

• Grassroots leadership drives success: bottom-up initiatives, like Seoul’s Energy-Independent Villages and London’s Banister House Solar Project, achieved higher social impact through participatory governance.
• Trust is built through transparency: Seoul’s public energy data sharing and Los Angeles’s youth programs strengthened community bonds.
• Local solutions matter: Naples’ REC addressed energy poverty by partnering with marginalized families, while LA’s blockchain-managed solar grid cut costs for low-income residents.

“RECs can transform energy infrastructure into a platform for social empowerment, fostering what can be termed an emerging energy culture” says Bernardi.

Despite their successes, RECs face hurdles. “Structural barriers, like bureaucratic delays and uneven policy support, limit their reach,” notes Bernardi. For instance, Italy’s REC growth lags due to complex regulations, while post-pandemic energy crises highlight the urgency for scalable models.

“Policymakers must prioritize inclusive governance and pre-distributive strategies to ensure no community is left behind. They should rethink energy transitions as more than just technological shifts,” highlights Bernardi. “Energy communities can become laboratories for experimenting with democratic, inclusive, and territorially grounded models of sustainability.”

The en-communiting framework offers a tool to evaluate the broader social and territorial impact of energy communities and to inspire more integrative energy policies in Europe and beyond. It contributes to current debates on the just transition, environmental governance, and the right to the city, particularly in the context of growing energy poverty and ecological crises.

Bernardi M. En-communiting: framing renewable energy communities as territorial asset for environmental and social well-being. Renew. Sust. Energy 2025(1):0002, https://doi.org/10.55092/rse20250002.