1186 | 730 | Digitisation as a driver for the decentralisation of energy systems: evidence from energy communities.

The intervention aims at analysing the aspect of decentralisation of energy systems starting from urban experiences of energy communities, and the impact of information technologies on their development. In fact, the ongoing energy transition involves not only a shift to renewable resources but also a reorganisation of the networks, production and distribution of available energy, as well as a realignment in the balance of power. Until now, energy companies were predominantly interested on the production side; as a result of the paradigm switch, they will increasingly focus on the grid and distribution. In this groove, cities and communities can have a comparative advantage, as they are already aware of the needs of their territories, and position themselves to anticipate these trends and acquire more decision-making and contractual power, through the generation of energy from below and distribution according to more equitable socio-economic criteria. ICT technologies and, in general, innovation and the spread of smart cities are proving to be fundamental tools in this context, contributing to the redistribution of organisational capacity between territorial levels and, in the private sector, from large companies to SMEs and cooperatives. The cases of a selection of Italian energy communities will be analysed in order to reflect on how these new urban tools are capable of modifying public and private space for the benefit of the entire community or its more fragile components, and what demographic dynamics they may generate.

Giulia Fiorentino
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

ID Abstract: 730

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