On 1st December Plentzia`s Herri Lurrak group organized another in their series of talks. In the first one, as well as presenting their book Isuskitza, Herri Lurrak, Iragana eta Etorkizuna, they invited Elisa Sainz de Murieta to talk about the effects of climate change. In the second talk Joseba Ibargurengoitia from Euskal Herriko Hazien Sareak was the guest speaker. This time it was the turn of Maite Alonso, a member of Goiener, to talk about Energy Communities. Maite started her talk by talking about the history of cooperatives and in particular energy cooperatives before going on to explain how and why Goiener started off. Goiener is a growing Basque cooperative which started out to ensure that anybody who wanted to could ensure that the energy they used came from renewable sources. Since then it has expanded and now it not only commercializes renewable energy, but produces it. Two examples are the Fagollaga hydroelectric project in Hernani and the Ur Jauziak hydroelectric project in Oñati but Nafarkoop, the cooperative set up by Goiener to produce renewable energy, has been involved in various other projects such as the successful installation of solar panels on the roofs of five ikastolas.
Renewable Energy Communities is the latest focus of interest of Goiener. In the words of Maite the implication of an institution such as a town-hall is almost essential but of course at the heart of any Renewable Energy Community are the people who decide to become part of it. Another essential element could be the presence of a local enterprise that is interested in supporting the project. Unfortunately it must be said that there are other types of energy communities being proposed where the people will be merely consumers with no other input in the project. Any project supported by Goiener will ensure that the members of the community are actively involved. As the slogan of Goiener says, Power to the people!!!
Finally, thanks to Plentziako Herri Lurrak for organizing the talk! We wonder what the next talk will be about!
