💥Workshop: Stockholm Environment Institute – medskapande Ö-Liv

Representatives from the Swedish islands, researchers, and energy experts

gathered for a webinar hosted by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the

Clean Energy for EU Islands (CE4EUI) Secretariat to discuss how energy

communities can strengthen local resilience and accelerate the clean energy

transition on islands.

This webinar is tailored

to a Swedish (island) context and offers:

• A fundamental introduction to the concept of energy communities

• Case inspiration from the work of a Swedish island

• An exchange of ideas and experiences from the transition to sustainable energy on islands

• Discussions on how locally driven energy solutions can strengthen the resilience of islands

Can be looked at here: https://youtu.be/DdTCF6BgtDc

Summary of workshop:

Although interest in energy communities in Sweden has increased following the

recent energy price crisis and geopolitical tensions, their development remains

limited compared with many other EU countries. Estimates suggest there are fewer

than 200 energy communities in Sweden, although this figure is uncertain due to

differing definitions, compared with around 9,000 across the EU. Participants

highlighted the absence of national legislation and financial incentives as major

barriers to further progress.

Professor Jenny Palm of Lund University noted that while collective ownership

models are legally possible, policy support remains limited. She called for broader

public engagement and better communication to ensure that all social groups can

participate in the energy transition.

Lena Rainer from Swedish Energy Communities highlighted the importance of building local capacity through community ambassadors with expertise in technology, economy, and social innovation. She pointed to Arholma, an island community, as an example of how DSO Vattenfall can enable local engagement and support resilient and self-sufficient energy systems.

Lena emphasised that there is significant value in developing the Nämdö Green Archipelago energy community, where cooperation between residents, property owners, and technical partners is paving the way for new models of local energy markets and shared investment. She noted that this type of community-led initiatives can transform into scalable business cases that strengthen both local economies and national sustainability goals.

From the Nämdö Green Archipelago, Yngve Hässler described efforts across 15

inhabited islands aimed at achieving long-term energy self-sufficiency. He stressed

the need for technical support to map energy consumption and power demand and

suggested that joint electricity procurement could be an effective first step.