De-Scaling Private Law to Help Energy Communities Thrive

Energy communities produce renewable energy on a small scale and can drive the energy transition better than large energy companies. However, it is difficult for them to compete because energy markets encourage growth and economies of scale. The law creates further obstacles, also by imposing higher costs on small-scale companies than on large-scale companies for each unit of output.

While this problem has been recognized and addressed in public law, it has been largely ignored in private law. Hoops' project aims to develop and test a methodology to identify private law obstacles to small-scale energy projects and to develop legal tools to remove them.

Duration of the project

2025 - 2026

Awarded grant

50,000 euros, obtained from the NWO SSH Open Competition XS program

Contact person at our Faculty

Prof. mr. dr. B. (Björn) Hoops

Website with additional information