We're proud to be pioneers': inside Spain's community energy revolution

"The project, however, was about much more than growing vegetables. The town has a strong tradition of community action, and as the initiative gathered momentum, the activists formed a cooperative, Taradell Sostenible, which now has 111 members and supplies power to more than 100 households. These include some of the area's most vulnerable citizens, says Eugeni Vila, the coop's president. The question was how could people with few resources join the coop when membership costs 100, says Vila."

"We agreed that people designated as poor by the local authority could join for only 25 and thus benefit from the cheap electricity we generate. Taradell Sostenible have installed solar panels on the roofs of a sports centre and a cultural centre to supply electricity to the community, with funding from the government's Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE), which is working to expand energy communities across the country. We're very proud of the fact that IDAE describes us as pioneers, says Vila."

"The EU's Next Generation funding, which we got through IDAE, helped us to complete these two projects. Once they were up and running, they realised they needed more professional management, so in 2022 they combined forces with other local energy communities. Renewable energy is flourishing in Spain, a country with no gas or oil and little coal of its own, but an abundance of sunshine."

An initiative in Taradell began as allotments and evolved into a cooperative, Taradell Sostenible, with 111 members supplying electricity to more than 100 households. The cooperative prioritized affordability by allowing people designated poor by the local authority to join for 25 rather than 100 and thus benefit from cheap electricity. Solar panels were installed on a sports centre and a cultural centre with funding from the government's Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE) and EU Next Generation funds. The cooperative combined with other local energy communities in 2022 for more professional management amid Spain's sunny renewable expansion.

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