Community renewable energy in France: The state of development and the way forward

Abstract

Citizens can take an active part in the energy transition by participating in community renewable energy projects (CREPs). CREPs are emerging in France but their growth is simultaneously rapid and fragile. This paper describes the ongoing CRE movement in France based on an in-depth analysis at both the national and regional levels. To embrace the diversity of initiatives that exist, the paper proposes a typology of CREPs based on governance type and project size. We discuss the institutional, market, organisational and behavioural barriers that CREPs face. We also posit three enabling factors—financial, network and local capacity builders—and show that these factors contribute to explaining observed geographical disparities. We argue that policymakers should recognize the plural role that CREPs can play locally and develop support schemes that reflect this plurality instead of pushing for ever-bigger projects. Finally, because CREPs are not able to meet the growing demand for locally sourced renewable energy, we posit that regulations should evolve to offer CREP participants the opportunity to consume CRE-generated energy and to directly link that consumption to their own energy bills.