Czech lawmakers have taken a significant step toward promoting sustainable living by approving an amendment to the energy law, known as Lex OZE 2. The amendment, endorsed with 162 votes, facilitates energy sharing among households and paves the way for the establishment of energy communities, representing a transformative shift in energy distribution and consumption.

Under the revised law, households can form energy communities, enabling groups of up to ten members—such as family, friends, businesses, or local government offices—to share surplus electricity generated from emission-free sources. While the initiative simplifies the creation of such groups, participants must pay distribution fees if they share electricity through the existing distribution network.

The implementation of this pioneering initiative is expected to commence in the middle of the next year, subject to further scrutiny by the Senate and the president. Martin Ander, an expert on community energy at the Union of Modern Energy, stated, “Adopting the amendment is great news for households, municipalities, and companies. Sharing electricity from their own emission-free sources will contribute to long-term energy self-sufficiency, thereby reducing electricity costs.”

The legislation initially permits up to a thousand connection points in a maximum of three neighboring municipalities with extended jurisdiction to participate in an energy community. Future expansions are envisioned, with plans to establish a data center by mid-2026 to monitor electricity production and consumption, allowing for more connection points.

The Union of Community Energy highlights the high level of interest in community energy, portraying the law as groundbreaking for the Czech energy landscape. This legislative change empowers citizens to actively engage in the energy transformation by creating and utilizing local renewable energy sources.

Jakub Čejka, technical director of IBG, a battery storage supplier, anticipates various benefits for consumers through community energy, emphasizing the pivotal role of photovoltaics and battery energy storage in efficient utilization of clean energy. Jiří Krist, chairman of Enerkom Opavsko, envisions widespread participation, with up to a third of municipalities and half the citizens potentially engaging in some form of community energy by the end of the decade.

Article by Prague Forum