Rural Pact Conference: 'From vision to action: Empowering rural areas for the future' | Rural Pact Community Platform

Rural Pact Conference: 'From vision to action: Empowering rural areas for the future' | Rural Pact Community Platform

RURAL YOUTH IN EUROPE: Learning from your opinions and experiences

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Renewable Energy production and potential in EU Rural Areas

The green energy transition and its boost to the deployment of renewable energy can offer a unique opportunity for rural areas to benefit from their natural resources. The present study aims to provide a quantitative assessment of the technical potential of renewable energy sources in the EU’s rural areas, focusing on solar, wind and hydropower. This will help to provide relevant insights into how rural areas and communities can contribute to and benefit from the EU’s green energy transition, without undermining natural areas, key biodiversity and bird areas, high-value natural arms and food production. Moreover, a comparative analysis between current renewable energy production and potential in rural areas identifies which sustainable development trajectories for the future deployment of renewables are the most suitable in each specific territory. The report shows that solar photovoltaic systems in rural areas generate 136TWh a year but have the potential to generate 60 times more (8600TWh/year). Rural areas produce 280TWh a year through onshore wind but have the potential to produce four times more (1200TWh/year). Hydropower production in rural areas yields 280TWh a year, but it could potentially be 25% higher (350TWh/year). This work also addresses the concept of energy communities, as an emerging framework intended to foster a just green transition for rural communities, where generated values and benefits can be retained locally, while also promoting democratic participation and citizen engagement.

Rural toolkit launch event

Launch event of the Rural toolkit: the first comprehensive guide to EU funding and support opportunities for rural areas in the European Union.

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