Powering Citizens through Energy Democracy: From Evidence to Policy Action
On Friday, 20 February 2026, POWERINGCITIZENS will host a European conference in Athens, Greece, focusing on energy democracy and translating evidence-based knowledge into concrete, socially impactful policy action.
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The conference will take place at the Goethe Institute Athens (Omirou 14-16) from 09:30 am to 14.30 pm and will bring together experts, researchers, policymakers, local authorities and civil society actors from Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
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The event will address key challenges related to energy poverty and citizen participation in the energy transition, highlighting how research, digital tools and governance mechanisms can support inclusive, just and effective energy policies. The programme includes comparative research findings, country-specific insights, and practical examples related to energy communities, One-Stop Shops, digital platforms, energy poverty observatories and policy instruments targeting vulnerable households.
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An important reference point for the discussions will be the Policy & Research Report “Powering Citizens: The Social Impact of Energy Communities in Europe”. The report examines how EU strategies for climate neutrality and sustainable development translate into practice across six European countries, with a particular focus on energy-poor and vulnerable contexts, highlighting both the potential and the limitations of current governance frameworks for empowering citizens and addressing energy poverty. The findings expose persistent gaps between policy ambitions and on-the-ground implementation, while offering evidence-based recommendations to strengthen energy democracy, promote citizen-led energy initiatives, and integrate energy justice more effectively into climate and social policy.
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The conference aims to foster dialogue among research, policy, and practice, contributing to the development of actionable policy recommendations at local, national, and European levels.
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The working language of the conference is English.
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The event is organised by INZEB (Initialising Energy Balance Towards Zero), a member of the POWERINGCITIZENS consortium, with the support of all project partners.
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