Developing Community Energy Pilot Projects Through Local Engagement in Primorska region (Slovenia)

As part of DECA project, GOLEA worked together with citizens and local stakeholders to test the Community Energy Project Pipelines Toolkit, which served as a starting point for structured cooperation with communities in shaping initial ideas for community energy projects.

Citizens in the Danube Region recognise the potential of community-based renewable energy projects, yet often face challenges in the early stages—such as limited coordination, insufficient technical support, or uncertainty about how to get started. To address these challenges, GOLEA organised a series of meetings in two municipalities – the City Municipality of Koper and the City Municipality of Nova Gorica, both participating in the DECA project as associated partners.

During these meetings, residents and local stakeholders discussed the possibilities for developing pilot community projects, explored the specific needs of their communities, and identified potential locations and forms of cooperation. The discussions focused on:

· connecting residents and local stakeholders,

· identifying initial technical and organisational options,

· assessing interest and motivation for further project development.

The meetings helped create a clearer picture of how locally driven projects can become feasible and be gradually developed in subsequent stages.