Citizens can actively participate in the energy transition by joining citizen energy communities or community energy centers (CEC in both cases). CECs are emerging in France, but their growth is as rapid as it is fragile.

This article details the current movement of CECs in France through a thorough analysis at both national and regional levels. To account for the diversity of existing initiatives, it proposes a typology of CECs based on governance type and project size.

We address the institutional, organizational, behavioral, and market barriers faced by CECs. We also examine three factors that facilitate the development of CECs: financing mechanisms, networks, and local capacity builders, and we show how these factors help explain the observed geographical disparities. We argue that policymakers should recognize the multiple roles that CECs can play at the local level and develop support programs that reflect this diversity rather than promoting ever-larger projects.

Finally, given that CECs cannot meet the growing demand for locally sourced renewable energy, we assert that regulations should evolve to allow CEC members to consume the energy produced by their CEC and establish the direct link between this consumption and their own energy bills.

Read the full article (in French)