A draft bill prepared by the energy ministry and published for consultation yesterday intends to abolish the current format and regulations concerning energy communities, instead offering existing communities the opportunity to convert to Renewable Energy Communities (KAE) and make the most of benefits foreseen for this new type of energy cooperative.

Should existing energy communities opt to not convert to this new status, their RES projects will be left to continue maturing at the regular, time-consuming pace.

The draft bill also intends to introduce Energy Communities for Citizens (EKP) as another alternative format also promising benefits.

A common feature of the two new energy cooperative formats is the categories to be made available to prospective members. Individuals, enterprises, local authorities, and public legal entities will be eligible to join Renewable Energy Communities or Energy Communities for Citizens, the only difference between the two formats being that Renewable Energy Communities will also be able to host agricultural cooperatives.

For the first time, such collective ventures will also be available exclusively for businesses, which must number at least 15. However, Renewable Energy Communities, according to the draft bill, will only be open to small and medium-sized enterprises, whereas Energy Communities for Citizens will be open to enterprises of all sizes.

In a significant change to existing energy community regulations, members of the two new formats proposed by the energy ministry will not be able to secure fixed tariffs for output of RES projects developed.