Energy communities – status of implementation of EU directives in Poland

Abstract

Energy communities play a key role in the energy transformation of the European Union, being a tool for implementing the assumptions of the RED II (2018/2001) and market directives (2019/944). The RED II directive promotes renewable energy sources (RES) with the goal of achieving a 32% share of renewable energy in the EU by 2030, supporting, among others, prosumers and energy communities (RECs). In turn, the market directive defines the framework for the functioning of the electricity market, emphasizing consumer rights, flexibility of the electricity system and the development of citizen energy communities (CEC). In Poland, the implementation of EU regulations has had varying degrees of success. Legal amendments, such as the RES Act (2016) or the Act on Farmers' Cooperatives (2018), have created the foundations for local energy initiatives, including: energy clusters and energy cooperatives. Citizen energy communities were introduced in 2024. Key challenges include the lack of simplified administrative procedures, a limited financial and technical supporting system, and complex settlement mechanisms. Legal restrictions, e.g. in the scope of local government activities or failure to use the potential of virtual prosumers, hamper development of energy communities.