LIFE LOOP Template for statutes for energy communities

Produced in the framework of the LIFE LOOP project, this document provides a template for the Articles of Incorporation of an energy community structured as a cooperative — one of several legal forms available for setting up an Energy Community, alongside options such as limited partnerships, public-private partnerships, community foundations and trusts, housing associations, and public utilities. Each form comes with its own governance model and suits different contexts: cooperatives are owned and democratically controlled by their members, while limited partnerships offer more flexibility but don’t always guarantee one member, one vote. Foundations and trusts prioritise social value and local development over individual profit, housing associations are well suited to tackling energy poverty among tenants, and municipally-run public utilities work particularly well in rural or isolated areas.

The right legal form depends on factors such as the size and nature of the energy community, its members’ goals, and the regulatory framework it operates within.

This particular template is designed for energy communities that choose to organise as a cooperative.

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Given its value, this resource has been reviewed as part of the SHINE project and selected as a useful tool for community energy development.

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