How a German town wants to reinvent clean energy sharing

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🗞️ Driving the news: Bürgerenergie Rhein-Sieg, a German cooperative, is planning to build a new solar park on a former landfill site in Siegburg
• This initiative is part of Germany's growing trend of citizen energy cooperatives, where individuals invest in renewable energy projects

🔭 The context: Germany has about 900 citizen energy communities, contributing to the EU's broader aim of decentralizing the electricity market
• Members invest in these cooperatives by purchasing shares, like at Rhein-Sieg where one share costs €250, and earn dividends from the electricity produced

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: These cooperatives represent a grassroots movement towards renewable energy, which is crucial for reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change
• However, challenges in Germany, like the inability to use the public grid for energy sharing and high levies, hinder the potential impact of these initiatives

⏭️ What's next: There is a call for the German government to create financial incentives and reduce levies for citizen energy, making it more viable and widespread

💬 One quote: "At the moment, you're not even allowed to give away self-generated electricity to your next-door neighbor," (Thomas Schmitz, volunteer director of the Rhein-Sieg co-op)

📈 One stat: There are approximately 9,000 citizen energy communities across the European Union

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