The first Latin American Forum of Energy Cooperatives, held on 4 and 5 September 2024 at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília, was a milestone in the history of energy cooperatives on the continent. Co-organized by DGRV Brazil and the OCB system (Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives), it brought together 130 people from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Germany and Portugal and served as a platform for discussions on the role of cooperatives in the energy transition. The strategic role of cooperatives in the democratization of sustainable energy and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda in Latin America was also reaffirmed. Cooperative energy and related networks were promoted by encouraging the exchange of experience and knowledge on best practices, business models, participation and regulations.
In her speech, Kalina Nerger, Deputy Team Leader Latin America at DGRV Bonn, emphasized the role of cooperatives in decentralizing energy production and promoting social and environmental benefits:
‘Energy is not just a resource, but could be a catalyst for societal change, and cooperatives have the power to lead this change,’ she highlighted.
Dr Andreas Wieg, Head of the National Office for Energy Cooperatives at the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation, addressed the challenges and trends facing cooperatives in the field of renewable energies in Germany.
Florian Oeß, President of the energy cooperative BürgerEnergieGenossenschaft Kraichgau, presented experiences with cooperative energy in his region and its impact on the local economy, such as charging stations for electric vehicles powered by energy generated by citizens.
The Forum was attended by representatives of energy cooperatives and other cooperatives with own renewable energy production, representative and promotional organisations, public institutions and regulators, as well as credit institutions and cooperatives with financial products for renewable energy.
During the Forum the current landscape and context for renewable energy production within cooperative organizations in Mexico, Chile, Honduras and Brazil was presented. The participants also engaged in an in-depth exchange of views on the opportunities and prospects of cooperative initiatives in the region.
Since accessing financing options is a major challenge, especially for new energy cooperatives, the event also focused on the topic of funding. It was also possible to have an overview of financing options available and discuss the difficulties for the new energy cooperatives to access credit with representatives of credit cooperatives and financial institution.
As the Legal Framework is crucial for the development and existence of renewable energy cooperatives, it was also part of the event to hear from the regulators the perspective for cooperative Initiatives in Latin America and open a space for a constructive high-level dialogue to advance the renewable energy agenda.
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