Citizen associations and businesses can join together and play a main role in the energy transition as Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), groups of individuals or legal entities that produce and share renewable energy.

There are a number of steps to take in order to set up an energy community: the members can be individuals, neighbours, businesses, public administrations, small and medium-sized enterprises, religious establishments, tertiary sector providers or a research body; the interested parties must have an active electricity supply contract and share the same electricity distribution grid; the community must set up an unincorporated association or cooperative by statute, and choose a principal among the community members or as a non-member. Finally, the stakeholders must specify the criteria by which the benefits will be shared.

Renewable Energy Communities offer substantial opportunities for a sustainable and long-lasting energy transition which is environmentally wise as the electricity produced via the shared power plant will be so using renewable sources and reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions; there are also substantial economic benefits thanks to the self-consumption compensation and to several tax incentives and a price cut of the variable tariffs in the energy bill.