Contribution of Local Energy Communities to the Realization of a Just Energy Transition in Spain

This chapter begins by stressing the importance of electricity as an essential element to modern life in society. The above is followed by an insight into the relevance of local energy communities, an emerging figure that can enable new ways of producing and consuming electricity for the benefit of the community. Such a structural shift must be guided by the principle of energy justice. However, the current Spanish regulatory context is not enabling of this. In addition, existing European directives applicable to energy communities have not yet been fully transposed. But despite these barriers, opportunities for the development of local energy communities in Spain do exist. The country possesses abundant renewable energy resources, including solar and wind power, which can be harnessed by communities to become more self-sufficient and sustainable in their consumption of energy. To conclude, the chapter proposes a series of regulatory mechanisms that may be useful for deploying energy communities in Spain in light of the above-mentioned principle of energy justice.