Ting Chen , Alina Anapyanova , Frederik Vandenriessche , Hermann de Meer
{"title":"Implementing energy sharing in energy communities: A comparative legal analysis of Austria and Flanders","authors":"Ting Chen , Alina Anapyanova , Frederik Vandenriessche , Hermann de Meer","doi":"10.1016/j.jup.2025.101993","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>EU law empowers Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) and Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) to arrange energy sharing. Transposing the relevant EU law requires more detailed rules to define energy sharing, interpret ownership requirements, set applicable network tariffs, and regulate the charges and conditions imposed by other stakeholders. Austria and Flanders (Belgium) are pioneers in developing legal frameworks for energy communities. This article compares the implementation of energy sharing, highlighting differences in defining the obligations of energy communities, the alignment of interests between community members and suppliers, the application of network tariffs, and the adequacy of regulations regarding supplier-imposed conditions and charges. The comparative analysis reveals that Austria and Flanders face common challenges in ensuring that community members are protected from unjustified charges or conditions imposed by suppliers, as well as in facilitating multiple energy sharing agreements. Austria needs to address the technical and legal challenges of grid tariff reductions, close consumer protection gaps in energy sharing, and improve legal certainty and transparency. The Austria-Flanders comparison offers insights and policy recommendations for both jurisdictions and other EU Member States.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23554,"journal":{"name":"Utilities Policy","volume":"96 ","pages":"Article 101993"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Utilities Policy","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0957178725001080","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
EU law empowers Citizen Energy Communities (CECs) and Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) to arrange energy sharing. Transposing the relevant EU law requires more detailed rules to define energy sharing, interpret ownership requirements, set applicable network tariffs, and regulate the charges and conditions imposed by other stakeholders. Austria and Flanders (Belgium) are pioneers in developing legal frameworks for energy communities. This article compares the implementation of energy sharing, highlighting differences in defining the obligations of energy communities, the alignment of interests between community members and suppliers, the application of network tariffs, and the adequacy of regulations regarding supplier-imposed conditions and charges. The comparative analysis reveals that Austria and Flanders face common challenges in ensuring that community members are protected from unjustified charges or conditions imposed by suppliers, as well as in facilitating multiple energy sharing agreements. Austria needs to address the technical and legal challenges of grid tariff reductions, close consumer protection gaps in energy sharing, and improve legal certainty and transparency. The Austria-Flanders comparison offers insights and policy recommendations for both jurisdictions and other EU Member States.
期刊介绍:
Utilities Policy is deliberately international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral. Articles address utility trends and issues in both developed and developing economies. Authors and reviewers come from various disciplines, including economics, political science, sociology, law, finance, accounting, management, and engineering. Areas of focus include the utility and network industries providing essential electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater, solid waste, communications, broadband, postal, and public transportation services.
Utilities Policy invites submissions that apply various quantitative and qualitative methods. Contributions are welcome from both established and emerging scholars as well as accomplished practitioners. Interdisciplinary, comparative, and applied works are encouraged. Submissions to the journal should have a clear focus on governance, performance, and/or analysis of public utilities with an aim toward informing the policymaking process and providing recommendations as appropriate. Relevant topics and issues include but are not limited to industry structures and ownership, market design and dynamics, economic development, resource planning, system modeling, accounting and finance, infrastructure investment, supply and demand efficiency, strategic management and productivity, network operations and integration, supply chains, adaptation and flexibility, service-quality standards, benchmarking and metrics, benefit-cost analysis, behavior and incentives, pricing and demand response, economic and environmental regulation, regulatory performance and impact, restructuring and deregulation, and policy institutions.