DECA Final Conference: Accelerating Community Energy in the Danube Region

DECA Final Conference: Accelerating Community Energy in the Danube Region

The DECA Final Conference, Accelerating Community Energy in the Danube Region, successfully brought together practitioners, experts, public authorities, energy agencies, NGOs and other enabling organisations working to advance community energy across the region.

Held in Nova Gorica, the event provided an important space for exchange between those directly involved in developing citizen-led energy initiatives and those creating the conditions for such initiatives to grow. The programme combined project highlights, practical examples from partner countries, and a discussion on how community energy can contribute to more equitable energy security and stronger local resilience.

A central focus of the conference was the dissemination of key results and assets developed through the DECA project and its partners. Participants were introduced to the DECA training programme, the toolkit for advisors providing community energy support, and the Danube Community Energy Acceleration Strategy. These resources reflect the practical experience gathered across the project and are intended to support the continued development of citizen-led energy initiatives beyond the project’s lifetime.

The event also created momentum for sharing lessons learned from implementation in different national and local contexts. Examples from across the Danube Region showed how training, advisory support, collective investment approaches, and community energy hubs can help move community energy from concept to practice.

Overall, the conference marked a strong and constructive closing moment for the DECA project. It highlighted the value of regional cooperation, peer learning and practical support tools, while also pointing towards the next steps needed to accelerate community energy in the Danube Region.