Local energy markets: Opportunities, benefits, and barriers

Abstract

The “Clean Energy for all Europeans” package, whichthe European Commission presented in late 2016, opensway for a major transition of the European energylandscape towards customer empowerment and localenergy. It states that consumers within the EuropeanUnion shall be entitled to generate electricity for eitherconsume it, store it, share it, or sell it back to the market.This paper takes on those promises to overview andelaborate on the concept of local energy markets,highlight the opportunities offered to variousstakeholders, and discuss identified benefits andchallenges/barriers to their further development.