Implementation of renewables self-consumption schemes at the heart of new Renewable Energy Coordination Group’s Work Programme

Yesterday’s Renewable Energy Coordination Group meeting featured discussions on progress in the field of renewable energy and set the Group’s priorities for the next two years. Alongside adopting its Work Programme for 2021-2022, the Group appointed Ms. Margalita Arabidze as its Chair for the same period. The meeting also explored how spatial planning can accelerate renewable energy uptake, which concluded with the Secretariat’s proposal to coordinate the development of policies and measures for the identification of suitable zones for renewable energy projects as part of the implementation of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).

According to the adopted Work Programme, the Group will focus on setting 2030 targets, introduction of market-based support schemes, implementation of a system for guarantees of origin and citizen’s participation in the development of renewable energy projects.

Citizen’s participation was also the focus of today’s workshop aimed at helping the Contracting Parties overcome challenges in the further implementation and uptake of self-consumption schemes in line with the Secretariat’s Policy Guidelines on Integration of Renewables Self-Consumers. The workshop provided an overview of the legal framework for self-consumption arising from the Clean Energy Package and European practice. Bringing together over 70 participants, the workshop triggered very interesting discussions on the design of incentives for customers to become self-consumers and contribute to the energy transition in the Contracting Parties.