An Island of Security: The Renewable Energy Community of Ventotene

The island of Ventotene has established a renewable energy community to combat rising energy costs and foster local autonomy. Initiated during the pandemic by a PhD student and supported by the local government, the project aims to transform residents from consumers into 'prosumers' who own and share local energy production. The community emphasizes a redistributive model where businesses with high solar capacity, such as hotels, can support individuals and small businesses. Despite its success as a 'laboratory for innovation,' the project faced delays due to Italian legislative instability and technical grid connection issues. The case highlights a broader Italian context where 38 communities are recognized and 65 are planned, supported by EU funding via the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, though Italy remains behind some European neighbors in implementation speed.

• The Ventotene renewable energy community was officially established in October 2021 following an academic analysis of potential models and a local council resolution.
• The community operates on a 'prosumer' model where local members own the energy production systems, creating economic and social value for the area.
• The project utilizes a redistributive approach to energy, allowing entities with significant installation space, such as hotels, to provide energy to those unable to install their own panels.
• Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, backed by EU pandemic recovery funds, has allocated 23.8 billion euros to renewable energy and 2.2 billion euros specifically for renewable energy communities.
• Implementation of energy communities in Italy is hindered by legislative instability, technical regulation delays, and difficulties in obtaining substation information from suppliers like Enel.
• The European Commission opened 10 infringement procedures against Italy on 26 July 2022 due to failures in implementing directives, including those regarding energy communities.

APA

Polizzi, A. F. A. E. V. F. (2022). An Island of Security: The Renewable Energy Community of Ventotene. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/an-island-of-security-the-renewable-energy-community-of-ventotene/

Chicago

Polizzi, Antonia Ferri, Arianna Egle Ventre, Francesca. An Island of Security: The Renewable Energy Community of Ventotene. Green European Journal, 2022. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/an-island-of-security-the-renewable-energy-community-of-ventotene/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Polizzi |first1=Antonia Ferri, Arianna Egle Ventre, Francesca |title=An Island of Security: The Renewable Energy Community of Ventotene |publisher=Green European Journal |date=30 November 2022 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/an-island-of-security-the-renewable-energy-community-of-ventotene/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{polizzi2022island, author = {Polizzi, Antonia Ferri, Arianna Egle Ventre, Francesca}, title = {{An Island of Security: The Renewable Energy Community of Ventotene}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/an-island-of-security-the-renewable-energy-community-of-ventotene/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }