A new report published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) underlines the important role that energy communities can play in achieving Europe’s climate objectives, while also pointing out that their potential remains largely underexploited.
According to the report, citizens are projected to generate half of the renewable energy needed for the European Union to achieve climate neutrality. Energy communities are expected to become a key driver of this transition by enabling citizens, local authorities, SMEs and other local stakeholders to jointly produce, consume and manage renewable energy.
However, despite this potential, the report concludes that progress across the European Union has been slower than expected. At the beginning of 2025, the EU had achieved only 27% of its objective of establishing at least one renewable energy community in every municipality with more than 10,000 inhabitants. The auditors identify several barriers that continue to hinder their development, including fragmented regulatory frameworks, limited national support and insufficient monitoring.
For the EU Outermost Regions, these findings are particularly relevant. Islands often face higher energy costs and greater dependence on imported fossil fuels due to their geographical isolation. At the same time, they possess significant renewable energy resources that can be harnessed through community-led initiatives, helping to improve energy security while generating social, environmental and economic benefits for local communities.
This is precisely the ambition behind NESOI Plus. The project supports the creation and development of energy communities in the Azores, Canary Islands and Martinique by providing technical assistance, capacity-building activities and support for the development of investment-ready projects. Through its One-Stop-Shop, NESOI+ aims to help local initiatives overcome technical and financial barriers and accelerate the clean energy transition in Europe’s Outermost Regions.
The report reinforces the importance of providing practical support to local actors and creating favourable conditions for energy communities to flourish—an objective that lies at the heart of the NESOI+ project.
Read the full report
European Court of Auditors – Special Report 10/2026: Energy communities – Potential yet to be fulfilled
