Webinar: EnTRA Energy Transition Talks #1

EnTRA Energy Transition Talks is a webinar series organised as part of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region project EnTRA – Energy Transition for Climate Neutrality in the BSR. Through 10 webinars, expert presentations and discussions will focus on key topics supporting the acceleration of the energy transition across the region towards climate neutrality. Organised within the EnTRA Knowledge Community, the series brings together public authorities, researchers, businesses, NGOs and citizens. All webinars are held online via Webex in English.
 

Despite over a decade of EU efforts to promote the widespread uptake of energy communities, Europe and the Baltic Sea Region still have relatively few that are fully operational – even though many exist on paper. Amid the current environmental and geopolitical context, setting up local energy communities has become increasingly important, offering a way to strengthen local and regional energy security across the BSR and Europe as a whole.

Experts agree that several barriers must be addressed before energy communities can become a widespread reality. In this webinar, we will discuss the opportunities available to people across the Baltic Sea Region who want to establish local energy communities. Experts who have successfully done so will join us to describe their experiences in moving from an idea to reality.

This session serves as a run-up event for the StartSun final conference, "From Concept to Community: Launching Solar Energy Communitieslink opens in new page," taking place both online and offline on 22 September 2026. The conference will focus on practical experiences and easy-to-follow guidance for developing and setting up solar energy communities in different contexts.

Speakers:

» Elis Vollmer, Central and Eastern European Sustainable Energy Network (CEESEN);

» Oliwia Kaniak, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (NOVUM).
» Kirils Gončarovs (Tartu Regional Energy Agency, EE).

» Nele Ivask (Tartu Regional Energy Agency, EE);

» Krista Pētersone (Society Green Liberty, LV);

» Izabela Szostak-Smith (City Hall of Warsaw, PL).