Energy communities: Another bet for the Municipality of Ioannito

The “memorandum of cooperation” that the Municipality of Ioannita will sign with Electra Energy, a social cooperative business specializing in energy issues, in order to transition the energy communities that the Municipality of Ioannita has established or participates in, from the previous municipal period, was discussed in the city council.

The bet of the Municipality of Ioannita is whether it will be able to reduce its energy costs and, by extension, control the galloping precision in everything that concerns it: water costs, municipal fees, etc.

According to the recommendations, the Municipality is proceeding with this collaboration to more directly monitor the legislation (which has recently changed, again) for energy communities and make decisions.

The Municipality has founded or co-founded two energy communities since the previous municipal term. One of them is expected to pass the new legal regime and be able to include other energy projects.

The synergy of the Municipality of Ioannina with Electra Energy has to do with the training of employees in energy matters, through a European program that the company already “runs”, as well as other initiatives, such as the first urban agro-photovoltaic in Greece, etc.

As the mayor Thomas Begas pointed out, the company already has collaborations with many municipalities throughout Greece, in matters of energy communities. “We need specialized cooperation” Mr. Begas emphasized and later, he added that the key in this case is to give space to the network for the Municipalities and the energy communities, and “not to run out to big investors” as he said.

The head of the official opposition, Dimitris Papageorgiou, asked for an explanation about the exact location of the agro-photovoltaic plant, which will be built near the municipal vegetable gardens. He also asked for details on the cooperation budget.

The head of the Ioannina_2023 faction, Tatiana Kalogianni, expressed some reservations about whether the two energy communities of the Municipality should make the transition, but said that she would come back to the accountability meeting.

Pantelis Kolokas (Beautiful city) said that “the energy communities must be supported” and he also expressed reservations about the vegetable gardens.

It should be noted that urban agrovoltaics of this type are not of large area. Also, there doesn’t seem to be anything given at the moment about its placement.

Mr. Papageorgiou also expressed another reservation regarding the establishment of the company, saying the following: “We would like to, because this company KOINSEP with which we are going to conclude the cooperation memorandum is an NGO company and I personally have a reservation in general for the NGOs, without wanting to say anything about the specific company, we would like to know its composition”.

It seems that the elected officials will also need training in the social economy, as social cooperative enterprises are not Non-Governmental Organizations, as Mr. Papageorgiou said.

They are normal companies, which are subject to all the provisions of taxation without exception, they have normal business activity and their difference with other corporate forms consists in the fact that they are self-managed, with an equal distribution of profits, if they exist, their reinvestment in jobs, etc. .K.