DECA partners participate at the European Energy Communities Forum in Prague

European Energy Communities Forum took place in Prague, Czech Republic, from 13 to 15 May 2024. Two DECA partner organizations were in attendance – Center for Sustainable Energy Development from Serbia, and the Technical University of Kosice from Slovakia. The Forum was organized by the European federation of citizen energy cooperatives (REScoop) and its member from the host country, Community Energy Union (UKEN). 
Under the topic “Building blocks of energy democracy”, this year’s edition of the Forum focused on the potential of energy communities in connecting people from various backgrounds and communities in the joint effort for more sustainable future. The three days of the Forum were filled with interactive sessions, capacity-building trainings and workshops that explored the important issues related to community energy.
Having in mind that the main objective of the DECA project is to accelerate the development of energy communities in the Danube region, the Forum was a great place for our members to exchange experiences with organizations from all across Europe and learn about best practices from experienced trainers and facilitators. 
Program of the Forum encompassed many important aspects of energy communities – from funding potential to their role in facilitating just energy transition. Sessions on cooperation with local governments and utilizing digital tools in the process of developing energy communities also provided valuable inputs for our upcoming work on the DECA project. Of course, the technical aspect of energy communities was not neglected and the second day of the forum offered useful insights on technologies and systems.