The Community of Practice (CoP) in Portugal aims to advance the energy transition by supporting municipalities and practitioners operating in this policy domain. The CoP will facilitate online meetings hosted on the Zoom platform, starting from April 2025. The main communication channel for the CoP will be a LinkedIn group where all members are invited to participate. This group will serve as the primary means for discussing, sharing knowledge, and generating common ideas about energy transitions, fostering a sense of community among members.
Members will have access to resources and tools ahead of each session to support their participation, ensuring they can actively engage in the activities. The meetings will last for up to 2 hours and will include an interactive segment where participants can share their thoughts and queries. Minutes will be taken during each meeting, allowing those who cannot attend to catch up on the discussions later. The CoP aims to empower municipalities and County Councils to learn and replicate the model designed in the ENTRACK project, fostering energy transition plans with a social perspective.
Reasons to join the Community of Practice:
- Access to Knowledge & Resources: Gain valuable insights, tools, and materials to support energy transition initiatives.
- Experience Sharing & Learning: Exchange opinions, learn from peers, and replicate successful models.
- Networking & Professional Growth: Connect with experts, expand your professional network, and enhance your skills.
- Structured Discussions & Impact: Participate in interactive meetings that foster innovation and support community-driven energy solutions.
Join the Portuguese Community of Practice via this Link (or by scanning the QR code below): https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/PortugueseCoP
CoP Meetings Timeline
1st CoP Meeting
2 April 2025 – 28 participants
The 1st CoP meeting, held in Portugal, took place on April 2nd at 2 PM. Twenty-eight CoP participants attended, seven of whom were members of the ENTRACK team, four from NOVA-FCT, and three from AREANATejo. Thus, constituting approximately 47% of the full Portuguese CoP membership (59 members). During this initial meeting, the ENTRACK project’s aims, scope, and recent activities were summarized, and the theoretical concept and relevance of a CoP were explained. Details of existing project resources and links to the CoP LinkedIn page were shared to facilitate knowledge exchange between members. The session was then opened to gather members’ thoughts and reflections on the desired outcomes of the Portuguese CoP. Key themes discussed included the installation of large-scale solar parks in the Alto Alentejo region and community energy alternatives, the potential for municipal energy ownership, and questions of citizen interest in energy issues.
A Mentimeter activity evaluated the interests of CoP members and ideas for follow-up session topics, with the topic priority topic identified as Renewable Energy Communities (RECs). The meeting concluded with reflections on the disconnection between citizens and local policy, as well as strategies for better community involvement.
2nd CoP Meeting
12 May 2025 – 42 participants
The 2nd Portuguese CoP Meeting, focused on Renewable Energy Communities (RECs), was held on May 12, 2025, at 3 PM. Forty-two CoP participants attended, seven of whom were members of the ENTRACK team, four from NOVA-FCT, and three from AREANATejo. Thus, constituting approximately 55% of the full Portuguese CoP membership, which has now grown to 77 members. The session had three invited guest speakers. Two of the guest speakers presented on local RECs in Portugal, one rural and one urban. The third speaker instead presented a national-scale Portuguese energy co-operative, producing decentralized energy and supporting those wishing to develop RECs. Common barriers to REC implementation identified by all speakers included administrative, bureaucratic, financial, legal, informational, and literacy barriers. A lack of political will to support RECs was a concern among CoP members. Despite these challenges, the speakers advocated for collaborative action to maintain momentum and increase REC uptake in Portugal, highlighting their own cases as positive examples. The open discussion with CoP members revealed a preoccupation with making RECs truly inclusive, suggesting that proximity to local associations and dedicated energy advice services could be used as tools to achieve this.
The Portuguese CoP with over 70 members!
