The Danish Business Authority has approved the articles for Denmark’s first energy cooperative in accordance to the new eu-directive that gives citizens new possibilities to participate actively in the energy transition.
The country’s first citizen energy community was founded on 18 August 2020 under the name “Energifællesskab Avedøre” (Energy Community Avedøre) A.M.B.A. The energy community is a model drawn from a new EU directive that provides citizens with new opportunities to participate actively in a climate-friendly transition of the energy supply. The founders are from the local area Avedøre in Hvidovre Municipality. The founders are Hvidovre Municipality, Hvidovre Gymnasium, Avedøre Landsbylaug, Avedøre District Heating A.M.B.A., Filmbyen and EBO Consult A/S. The energy community will cover an area of approx. 2 km2, approx. 6,000 citizens, a number of institutions and companies.
The citizens’ energy community is part of a development plan called “Avedøre Green City”, where a number of local stakeholders are active because they want to focus on the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals. Sustainable energy has been identified as one of the important sustainable development goals, leading to the establishment of the energy community.
The founders come from very different places in the Avedøre local area in Hvidovre Municipality. The founders are Hvidovre Municipality, Hvidovre Gymnasium, Avedøre Landsbylaug, Avedøre District Heating A.M.B.A., Filmbyen and EBO Consult A/S. The energy community is open to other actors in Avedøre so that the energy community will cover an area of about 2 km2, about 6,000 citizens, a number of institutions and companies.
With the creation of the energy community, energy activities such as the establishment of charging stations and the setting up of solar cells will be launched. The idea is that the energy consumers in the area should “harvest” the energy they themselves produce in the area and that this is done in accordance with the principles set out in the EU Directive. For the participants, it is important that these are so-called self-sustaining energy activities, where, for example, the price of electricity is aligned with actual local costs and where surpluses in the community are a basis for the development of community activities such as the setting up of new solar cells or charging stations.
The energy cooparative is now an owner of a cvr number and is officially approved by the Danish Business Authority – as the first in Denmark.