The aim of the project is to empower young people to play an active role in energy communities so that they can contribute more to the energy transition. Understanding the challenges and barriers, including the legal constraints on the functioning of energy communities and creating a space that fosters the inclusion of young people in decision-making processes, are key to developing solutions and successfully achieving the project's objectives. As part of the planned activities, we aim to develop tools that will facilitate the strengthening of the role of youth in energy communities in Poland and other European countries.

The main challenges and barriers which are preventing the active participation of young people in energy communities are:

• legal barriers for empowered youth energy communities and collective energy actions,
• overlooking and exclusion of young people from energy decision-making processes, despite their activism and capacity to take action in their communities to implement Agenda 2030,
• lack of knowledge of initiatives that enable participation in the energy transition process among young people,
• lack of awareness of the existence of different forms of energy communities and the benefits they offer to society.

Thus, the overall objective of the POWERYOUTH project is to address these challenges by effectively engaging young people and other key stakeholders in collective actions.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

Cele projektu  zostaną osiągnięte poprzez realizację i wsparcie działań młodzieżowych społeczności energetycznych. Ponadto projekt przewiduje opracowanie zestawu cyfrowych narzędzi i programu budowania kompetencji, które ułatwią młodzieży wdrożenie się oraz wzmocnienie swojej pozycji w tego typu inicjatywach. POWERYOUTH zmobilizuje również organizacje młodzieżowe i władze lokalne do powielenia reprezentowanego podejścia w całej UE.

The POWERYOUTH approach will run 5 pilots in EU countries: Greece, Portugal, Latvia, Austria, and Poland – aiming to create 10 youth energy communities and involve at least 1,000 young people and other stakeholders as members.

EXPECTED PROJECT RESULTS:

POWERYOUTH project will:

• create and implement a comprehensive and easily replicable competence-building programme to train young people in green energy skills and promote their participation in energy communities,
• establish a group of Youth Energy Community Leaders to disseminate knowledge and good practices on sustainable energy and energy communities at national and European level, thus increasing the opportunities for young people to become genuinely involved,
• formulate recommendations for local and European policies and increase the capacity and opportunities for the dissemination of youth energy communities in new areas,
• support the energy transition process by involving young people in sustainable practices..

PROJECT PARTNERS:

• SingularLogic Anonymi Etaireia Pliroforiakon Sysel (SGL), GR - coordinator
• Ethnicon Metsovion Polytechnion – National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), GR
• Agência de Energia do Porto (AdEPorto), PT
• Rīgas plānošanas reģions (RPR), LV
• OurPower Energiegenossenschaft SCE mbH, AT
• Stowarzyszenie Gmin Polska Sieć Energie Cités (PNEC), PL
• Cities Network for Sustainable Development (SCN), GR
• Association Europeenne Pour la Democrat (ALDA), FR
• Space Hellas Anonymi Etaireia Systimata Kai Ypiresies (Affiliated), GR
• YES-Europe (Young leaders in Energy and Sustainability) (Associated), CH

DURATION: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2026

PROJECT WEBSITE: https://portal.singularlogic.eu/en/poweryouth

FINANCING: LIFE+

POWERYOUTH is co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE+ Programme within the grant agreement No 101120687 — LIFE22-CET-POWERYOUTH. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.