Discussion about community energy at the workshop in Zlatibor

The workshop titled “Democratization of energy in Serbia”, was conducted by Platform for Energy Transition (PET), in cooperation with Center for Sustainable Energy Development (CORE) on 5 and 6 June 2024. The event gathered around 20 professionals and experts with background in environment, energy and renewables, including representatives of local governments, businesses, civil society and academia.

Besides the great opportunity to discuss the potential of community energy in Serbia and connect with friends and partners, Zlatibor workshop serves to present PET - an emerging know-how organization in Serbia dedicated to local energy transition and community energy.

The workshop included thematic sessions dedicated to discussing the barriers that prevent the development of community energy in Serbia, and ways to better utilize this potential. Participants agreed that advancing the concept of community energy in Serbia would require a multi-sector approach, including raising citizens’ awareness, strengthening the capacities of local governments and improving the legal framework. Nonetheless, there is a great potential in community energy that can be utilized.

The Workshop was organized under the auspices of Project: “3D of Energy Transition” supported by Heinrich Boell Foundation in Serbia, enabling respective views and opinions of the Serbian experts on  existing institutional potential to facilitate local energy transition, and support development of energy communities, representing at the same time the focus of a upcoming Study “Democratization of Energy in Serbia” under preparation by PET’s experts.